Cultivating Non-Judgmental Listening Skills: A Guide for Male Leaders in the Workplace
Steve (fictional name, true story) had fucked up in a big way. He knew it, and as the leader of the organization he worked for, I knew it too. What I did not know, however, was why this had happened. The mistake was big enough that he could have, and possibly should have been, terminated […]
Men, It’s Time to Stop Hiding
Last week I had a beautiful reminder of one of the most important aspects of healing, in particular for men. I attended a fundraiser luncheon for the Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch. The Little Warriors is an organization that creates spaces (https://littlewarriors.ca/be-brave-ranch/) and programs for children who are victims of childhood sexual abuse. Their mission […]
Cultivating Resilience in Your Team: A Leader’s Guide to Navigating Uncertainty
Four Ways to Build a Culture of Resilience I was 28 years old, at the peak of my career. I was making more money than I had in my life and, quite frankly, more than I would have imagined possible a few short years earlier. I had moved to a new town and was about […]
Intentions Over Outcomes
I have written a bit on why I stopped using the term goal and shifted to a new paradigm of finding alignment with outcomes. Language matters. When I shift to setting an intention rather than obsessing about an outcome, I commit to how I am going to show up. I do not commit to a result that is often largely out of my control.
This mental shift has been incredibly liberating and a welcome way to remove unhealthy stress in my life. It doesn’t mean that I do not hold myself accountable to how I show up. It just means that commit to the process, not the result. The following story of an ultramarathon I ran Easter weekend was a great example of this concept.
Shut the Duck Up! How to Manage Negative Self-Talk Holding You Back
“You’re in a fight against an opponent you can’t see, but you can feel him on your heels can’t you, feel him breathing down your neck. You know what that is? That’s you, your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky. But […]
How Stories Can Motivate Men to Prioritize Mental Health
I could sit here and share statistics with you all day that tell you why Mental health is a critical aspect of our overall well-being. But, the fact is it is often overlooked, particularly among men. I could tell you that based on a recent study of men in the workplace: 55% of men reported […]
Is Vulnerability in Leadership Bullshit?
I have been a student of leadership for over 30 years. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about the power of vulnerability in leadership. However, many leaders I work with are highly skeptical about this concept. I hear a lot of similar viewpoints. “Yeah, they say that is what they want […]
What is your influence?
On September 1, 2022, my 21-year-old son left to go to University 5000km from home. As a father, I am incredibly proud to see him spread his wings and blaze his own trail. It is also a little sad and a lot scary for me as well. When he left, I wanted to give him […]
Are You Having a Midlife Crisis?
Is it really a midlife crisis? Many men spend most of their lives trying to live the life they believe they are supposed to live. They are supposed to be the provider, the protector, the ‘man’. Most do this at a great cost to self. They suppress their own needs, wants and desires in order […]
Men’s Mental Health: Self Awareness Is Key
This one little shift will drastically increase your ability to reflect and grow. This little tip for me was a real key in moving from self-reflection to true self-awareness. When it comes to building resilience and strength so much of it comes down to the language we use as we explore. In order to build […]
Men’s Mental Health: Be Somebody’s Larry
When it comes to men’s mental health we all need somewhere to unpack what is going on in our lives. The challenge often can be that finding those spaces to do that is difficult. As men, we tend to like to “fix” things. This often kills the space required for exploration of feelings and patterns […]
Men’s Mental Health: Why Emotional Fitness Matters
Why do so many of us men resist the mental health label? This is a conversation we need to have much more of. There are some unique societal pressures on men that create some unique challenges which ultimately require us to take some unique approaches when it comes to men’s mental health. Men everywhere are […]
Learning to Embrace the Suck
The difference between a good race and a bad race is all about how you manage the (inevitable) pain. Chris McCormack I first came across the term “Embrace the Suck” in the context of Ironman Triathlon. My daughter gave me a henna tattoo that made that proclamation across my forearm when I competed in my […]
How Can I Help You?
My mission is to create a community of emotionally connected leaders and inspire men to feel more, be more, and do more. I don’t know about you, but I get immense fulfillment from helping others achieve their dreams. I think we all like to help others get ahead. Have you ever noticed that most people […]
The Truth About Male Sexual Abuse
This video is an excerpt from the Love Letter to Men: A Celebration of Men’s Mental Health conference in February. In this panel discussion we talk about men and sexual abuse with two survivors and a licensed psychologist and author who works with men who have been abused. These are stories of hope and possibility.