The Doorknob Decision: Choosing to Turn Instead of Looping By Arlen Motz Leadership Most leaders don’t miss opportunities because they can’t see the door. They miss them because they won’t turn the knob. I’ve been there: facing a solid door with a simple handle, looping in my head. The loop feels like strategy, but it’s […]
When a hammer hits a nail it drives the nail into the wood and that is progress. The impact or force of the hammer is what creates the action. Now if there is too much force or a force from the wrong angle the nail kinks over. The action and force of the hammer is […]
Early on, someone told me something that sounded pretty smart at the time:“Never move someone off your team—you can coach anyone into any role.” At first, this seemed to make sense because great leaders develop people, and persistence is a virtue.But the truth is fit matters. A person who struggles in one environment can thrive […]
I ask myself this often: How can I be curious without turning into a micromanager? So many times I have found myself thinking “I could have done this job 3 times faster and way better.” When I get close to a deadline my trust is hard to keep in focus and I find it a […]
Stuck in a Leadership Rut? Here’s How to Move By Arlen Motz Leadership Leaders don’t end up in a rut overnight—we drift there. We get busy, stop asking hard questions, and accept patterns that don’t serve us. If that’s you, you’re not broken—and you’re not stuck. You can move. A Personal Note I’ve noticed this […]
The Thought Model: How Your Thinking Drives Results Years ago, if you walked into my house around 6 p.m., you could feel the tension. I was quick to anger. My family wasn’t sure which version of me was walking through the door, and honestly—neither was I. When I first heard the idea that your thoughts […]
Believe Your Why: Stop Leading for Approval and Start Leading on Purpose As small business leaders, we want to make people proud—owners, clients, mentors, even our teams. The pull to please is strong. We react, we lose sight of why we lead in the first place. I’ve felt that drift in my own life. When […]
I was recently in a coaching group when the conversation turned to relationships. At first, I didn’t want to engage. I’m not perfect—and honestly, I wasn’t sure I had much to offer. But then I mentioned a framework I’ve used before: Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Ferral Click […]
Fear-Based Leadership Is Costing More Than You Think Many seasoned leaders carry more than they show. They’ve built strong businesses, grown teams, and learned to handle pressure. But over time, that pressure changes shape. It’s no longer just about logistics—it’s about people, trust, and culture. That’s why strong leaders take 5 minutes to get clear. […]
You Can’t Change Others: The Leadership Truth That Sets You Free One of the most powerful shifts a leader can make is letting go of the exhausting belief that it’s their job to change other people. It’s subtle, but it shows up often: Here’s the truth: you can’t change others. But that doesn’t make you […]
