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When I was growing up I used to love to build things. I would design them in my head and then try to turn my designs into reality. Unfortunately for me my parents only half-heartedly supported my interest, and as I grew older it faded into the back ground. I know now that this activity is one of my natural talents, but the lack of support transformed a developing natural talent into a dormant opportunity.

After years of being on the road and working from hotels and client sites, I basically have a love/hate relationship with technology.

Recently a friend of mine who runs a retail business asked me to look over an email exchange that he had with one of his suppliers. My friend had produced a marketing campaign that the supplier felt was an attack on his products. My friend wanted me to analyze the interaction and tell him what was wrong with the supplier.

My wife and I were invited to a party to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. On the face of it, it was a pretty homogeneous crowd. There was little racial, ethnic, or cultural diversity to be found. But talking to my fellow guests revealed a great difference in our views and beliefs regarding subjects such as schooling, the economy, politics, etc.

Have you ever offered to help someone with something they had just complained about and had them completely miss the offer? I really know better than to “coach” on the fly, but when a choice opportunity came my way last week I couldn’t help myself even knowing beforehand what the outcome would be.

When your natural gifts and skills lend themselves to a moment of grace, you experience a profound change. It can feel mysterious and awesome all at the same time. The key is to discover and nurture your natural gifts and skills so you are open to these breathtaking moments of grace.

There, I’ve said it.  It’s out there in the universe now and it’s real.  My decision wasn’t made in haste, it’s based on a recent purchasing experience, and grounded in the belief that as a consumer, I don’t have to settle for less than the best. For me, sending a gift of flowers is a planned purchase.

Collaborative Leadership: of the six different leadership profiles described in Leadership Strengths Profiles, this is the one most commonly misunderstood. This is not surprising as the hallmarks of Collaborative Leadership, subtlety, refinement, nuance, elegance, and unobtrusiveness are the exact opposite of the stereotypical descriptions of leadership – boldness, daring, visionary, and audacious.

Usually when I sit down to write an article about perception, it is to highlight the ways perception differs from person to person. These differences are, after all, at the heart of what I am most passionate about professionally. Recently, however, I had a very interesting experience.

In our businesses and careers as in life, each of us has a unique Talent Advantage. But all too often, we fail to develop our natural talents. Why? Call it unintended consequences. Call it “least common denominator syndrome.” The simple truth is, many of the institutions we move through in our lives focus more on bringing everyone up to the same (average) level than they do on nurturing our exceptional talents and abilities