Marc Casciani

Leadership and Happiness

I read a great piece this week on The Black Swan Group’s blog, The Negotiation Edge. In an article titled, How Leadership Failure Can Look Different Than You Might Think, Derek Gaunt concludes: Great leaders are driven by Tactical Empathy. They understand exactly where their employees are coming from and they are governed by thatContinueContinue reading “Leadership and Happiness”

The Model

Outcomes are fickle things. They aren’t always guaranteed by our work and are out of reach from our direct control. We tend to stress about them because they are a measure by which we are judged. Opinions are formed whether we like it or not. The resulting pressure felt to get the outcomes we wantContinueContinue reading “The Model”

My People

“I heard you had one-on-ones with my people,” my colleague said in a slightly stern tone. “I’m sorry. They weren’t one-on-ones. I thought you were aware of the ‘listening tour’. Sally and I have committed to visiting all of our offices and chatting with every teammate, in the spirit of getting to know them betterContinueContinue reading “My People”

The Eyes of Your Heart

Would you like better relationships? Have a more satisfying career? Live a more purposeful life? Then go see a Heartometrist, a specialist that diagnoses defects in empathy in order to prescribe corrective spiritual lenses. Most of us go to an optometrist every year or two. In elementary school, we learn it’s a good habit toContinueContinue reading “The Eyes of Your Heart”

What’s Your Baseline?

Would you believe me if I said the reason you have stress in your life is because of you? You’ve allowed it into your life. You’ve opened your mind and your heart to external elements that affect your emotions. They affect your state of happiness. It’s taken me a long time to learn that circumstances,ContinueContinue reading “What’s Your Baseline?”

The Prodigal Workplace

There was a business that had two cultures, one for sales and one for service. The salespeople said to the VP of Sales and Service, “Give me the freedom and flexibility to do whatever it takes to get new customers.” And they were given that ability. Not many days later, the salespeople gathered most ofContinueContinue reading “The Prodigal Workplace”

Creating Conditions for Replacement

Who buys bars of soap anymore? As I reflect on this question, I am reminded of the time my mom taught me a valuable lesson by washing my mouth out with soap. Certainly, Baby Booomers and Gen X’ers know what I’m talking about. For Millennials, kindly let me enlighten you. Washing out the mouth withContinueContinue reading “Creating Conditions for Replacement”

Special Mission

Have you every done a special project, a project for which you were so motivated, so laser focused that nothing could distract you from completing it? Please pause for a moment to reflect on that project. How did that project feel? Was it always easy? Did it ebb and flow? Did you have to pushContinueContinue reading “Special Mission”

Courage. Own It.

Every organization needs courageous people. People who have the quality of mind and spirit to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear. People who aren’t afraid to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s not popular or goes against the grain of what the corporate bureaucracy dictates. There’s no middle ground with courage. YouContinueContinue reading “Courage. Own It.”

Balancing Patience with Action

In one of my morning rituals this week, I studied Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” In that verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea as the Egyptian army is approaching them. However, one verse later, Exodus 14:15 says, “ThenContinueContinue reading “Balancing Patience with Action”