Debra Benton 
It’s easy to believe that our small decisions have minimal impact on our career success. We tend to frame success (and failure) in terms of big decisions, but the truth is that smaller decisions, even those that take only a second to make, can have lasting repercussions. Last second plays win or lose sports games … Read more
When do you know that you’re successful? Is is money, title, power? No. Experience from studying hundreds of successful people in all walks of life shows me you are successful when: You are working towards, are on the brink, or have met your dream life and career goals while you remain a solid citizen. You … Read more
You spend about a third of your life working, according to reference.com. Considering we spend a third of our life sleeping, that means we spend as much time at work as we do with our family, friends, pets, and hobbies. Where you work matters. It matters for your career success, and it matters for your … Read more
A sincere apology is an undervalued leadership skill. Too often, it seems that the only apologies we hear from leaders are those made after they’ve been “found out.” They’re carefully crafted PR pieces, not genuine expressions of remorse. You can do better. I’m not advocating for constant, meaningless apologies. Nor am I saying you should … Read more
In business, too often a courageous, think-and-act-outside-of-the-box individual is pejoratively labeled a cowboy. As if being a cowboy is a bad thing! Whoa! That’s exactly what I want on my team. Why? Because I know cowboys — real cowboys. They are about inspiration, not regulation. They don’t worry about rules but rather principles, values, and … Read more
What’s your New Year’s Resolution this year? Eating healthier? Changing careers? Working out more? Most of our resolutions revolve around external activities and habits (and according to studies shared on Inc., most of us quit on them by the second week of February – yikes!). But could I suggest a different resolution for this year? … Read more
Emerson Spartz is the 34-year-old Internet media entrepreneur who founded Dose and created the most popular Harry Potter fan site in the world, MuggleNet, at age 12. In an interview with The New Yorker magazine a few years back, he shared that when he was growing up, his parents made him read four short biographies … Read more
Conflict at work is inevitable. You are, after all, working with people. In today’s culturally diverse, multigenerational workforce, it’s bound to happen. According to the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness, a CPP study found that 85% of individuals and leaders agreed they experienced some amount of inevitable conflict at work. And 29% of all … Read more
Today’s workforce is multigenerational and diverse, but despite generational and cultural differences, there is one fact that remains true for everyone. Whether you are Gen-Z, a Millenial, Boomer, or Gen-X, you have to separate yourself from contenders in a competitive environment. This fact remains true even if you are working virtually rather than face to … Read more
There is about a 100 percent possibility that in the course of your day you will be communicating with someone from a different country who has had a different cultural upbringing and who speaks a different first language than you do. As one of my coaching clients explained, “I was with team members on a … Read more