Our words carry enormous weight. More than we sometimes think. They often impact people for decades, providing the courage to press on or the reason to give up.

We are entering the holiday season, and that means a lot of great things: fun memories, good food, goofing off. But it might mean some awkward, uncomfortable conversations, too. According to two economists from UCLA and Washington State University, “politically divided” families actually cut short their Thanksgiving dinners last year rather than wrangle over the […]

If anything is certain in leadership—whether you’re leading a large company, a mid-sized team, or a family of four—it’s that bad things will happen. Ultimately, you will bear the responsibility of sharing the news. Shouldering the burden is the mark of a leader committed to gaining control of an unfavorable situation before it devolves into […]

When you think about how you receive feedback, what comes to mind? Initially, you probably feel defensive. Your brain immediately goes to the most painful part about it, the aspect that makes us feel uncomfortable and makes us want to avoid it all together. But that’s not how we grow, is it? Brain research shows […]

How do you feel when there’s a difficult conversation brewing at work that you won’t be able to duck? Unless you’re a sociopath, the answer is usually “not good.” Most of us know the ill effects of dreaded discussions. A brewing conflict will make you more distracted and irritable, which has knock-on physical effects, which […]

People have way more potential than we often think they do. They can change, but unless we find the courage to speak up, they may not have the opportunity. Here are three truths to remember when you are faced with having a difficult conversation.

We are almost in the holiday season, and that means a lot of great things: fun memories, good food, and more. But it also means a few challenges. You know one of my big ones? Let’s visit the Honest Planet for a minute. It’s awkward conversations. You probably know what I mean. With all the […]

I love a good conversation. When I think to the most meaningful moments of my life, many of them have happened around a table, talking with the people closest to me. But we all know some conversations are better than others, right? Maybe you’ve had conversations that felt more like competitions. Everyone around the table […]

More than twenty years ago, I had an experience with two very different leaders. Those experiences have dramatically shaped my own view of leadership. In the end, they represent two very different styles, leading to two very different results.

Over the years, my wife, Gail, and I have developed a set of conversational rules that we use at the dinner table. We have ever written these down. They are largely unarticulated. However, over the years we have done our best to maximize these opportunities and to make eating more about the discussion than the food. Here are eight things we do to create engaging dinner-time conversations.

But I am noticing that that a new model of leadership is taking root in many organizations, including our own here at Thomas Nelson. In this model, the leader’s primary role is to initiate conversations that bring out the best thinking of the tribe and direct those conversations toward a positive outcome.