How the Whitecaps FC Fan Experience Models Great Workplace Culture
This Saturday is the home opener – or first kick – for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The club has been promoting season and single-match tickets by encouraging people to “experience the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver.” There are several examples of how…
Career Lessons from Climbing Mountains
A few weeks ago I attended and presented at Canada’s leading conference for career practitioners, Cannexus. One of the workshops that I attended was led by Rob Shea and Senator David M. Wells – it focused on the connection between…
How we will Realize Our Potential in 2015
A new year begins tomorrow. It’s time for Michael, Kurt and I to engage in a The Potentiality New Year’s tradition and make public commitments about how we will realize our potential in 2015. Like the kid in the photo above,…
Four Ways to Manage Triggers
It’s happened to all of us. During a heated conversation with a colleague, friend or loved one, they say something that’s not only wrong but completely infuriating. You might even get so pissed off, it’s hard to contain an eruption…
Three Tips for Smashing Through Barriers to Change
My life, just like yours, is always changing. I work at an organization that is transforming itself and transforming banking for the greater good. I am raising a child (my first) and he is developing at a fairly alarming rate….
Contagious Enthusiasm and my Signature Word: “Awesome”
My name is John and my signature word is “awesome”. People often ask why “awesome” passes through my lips so frequently and finds its way into my blog posts so easily. I thought I’d take a moment to explain why and…
Top Ten Leadership Lessons from Chris Hadfield
In his book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life, Commander Chris Hadfield, weaves relevant suggestions for leaders through the story of his life journey as an astronaut. While some of these lessons are pretty obvious, others fly in the face of…
10 Professional Lessons from the World Cup
After nearly a month of epic play, the 2014 World Cup is over. Germany is basking in the glow of victory. Brazil’s football soul has been crushed. And the United States’ love of the beautiful game is ascending. Countless stories…
How to Be a Better Workaholic
Good for the Career, Bad for the Soul These days working long hours can seem like a necessary evil in order to get ahead. While impressing your boss through workaholism can be exhausting, studies show that the long hours put…
How to Lead Without a Title
Let’s say you want to find some leaders to learn from, so you jump online and Google ‘great leaders’. The first result is images of Ghandi, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. So hey, no pressure, but…