Effective Leadership Starts with What We Believe

Some think that being a productive leader is all about charisma. Others believe it's all about skills. Still, others see strong leadership as techniques or activities. I see all of these as essential components of good leadership, but without the right foundation, they will be counterproductive. I believe that to be an excellent leader; we must start with what we believe–we need to have the right mindset–one that motivates us to create with integrity the future we want with the people we lead.

Mindset, LeadershipBrett PinegarFebruary 16, 2018

My Personal Call to Adventure

About five years ago I put my consulting work on hold to become CEO of WealthCounsel. Recently I made the tough decision to step down. We've done some fantastic work at WealthCounsel and achieved significant success, but most importantly, I am grateful for the relationships I have made with my team and our members and for how much I have learned from them.

In 2014 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Thankfully, my symptoms remain mild – I have a slight tremor in my right arm. Parkinson's has given me something more significant than symptoms; it has given me clarity and insight.

Mindset, Action, LeadershipBrett PinegarFebruary 9, 2018

Great leaders use four disciplines to enable 2x results

Great leaders achieve two times the profits and more than two times the ROI of average leaders. Watch this one hour webinar recorded on January 30, 3018 to learn the four disciplines great leaders rely on for exceptional results.

Mindset, Leadership, Principles, Purpose, Results, ActionBrett PinegarJanuary 30, 2018

Let My Dataset Change Your Mindset

Check out Hans Rosling's TED talk, "Let My Dataset Change Your Mindset" and let it help you limber up your mindset. Each of us have views, opinions, and perspectives on just about everything. Our opinions and perspectives are driven by our mindset, something that rarely creeps out of our subconscious. As leaders, if our mindset is wrong, then our gut instincts will be wrong, we will misinterpret the data we see, and likely misjudge the people and situations we find ourselves in.

Leadership, PrinciplesBrett PinegarApril 11, 2013

The First Step in Building Trust

A New York Times/CBS News poll from more than decade ago, publicized that 63% of people interviewed believe you “can't be too careful” dealing with most people. According to more recent Maritz Research poll, only 7% of employees trust senior leaders to look out for their best interests and 25% do not trust management to make the right decisions in times of uncertainty.

Trust in business leaders is already low and still falling.

Leadership, PrinciplesBrett PinegarFebruary 21, 2012

The Secret of Great Speeches and Presentations

Nancy Duarte's mission is to turn presentations into a powerful communication medium. She is the CEO of Duarte Design, the company that helped Al Gore create the dynamic presentation he used in the movie, An Inconvenient Truth. They have also been instrumental in the compelling presentations from water.org.

LeadershipBrett PinegarFebruary 9, 2012

5 Things Great Leaders Believe

Strong leaders have long known that leading doesn't start with actions, or even thoughts. Instead, it starts with what leaders believe. Covey calls these beliefs our moral compass. Peter Senge calls them mental models. They are the lens through which we view the world. They influence how we perceive and respond to all that happens.

These beliefs are not corporate values we aspire to, but instead the principles that determine what we think, say, and do. I often think of Enron, and their corporate values of communication, respect, integrity, and excellence. For them and many others, their values represent things that they were have the most difficult time doing.

So what do great leaders believe? What mental models guide them? Here are five principles I consistently see great leaders believe in and act on.

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