Advancing Your Listening Skills
Posted On January 18, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I always talk and teach about the importance of knowing your audience, and preparing for your work communication correctly. And at the center of that work is the ability to clarify the message and “the ask,” to try to anticipate what the audience will care about, and the questions or objections they […]
Persuasion is Not a Jedi Mind Trick
Posted On January 16, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
I recently had a conversation with a person I am coaching, and he recounted a story to me. He recently had led a really hard meeting with colleagues, where he made a presentation on a challenging, divisive topic. He was trying to build alignment within the business unit on how to handle a significant business […]
Leaders: You Are Allowed to Be “In Development”
Posted On January 11, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
I spend a lot of my time coaching business leaders, emerging and established ones, on their leadership and communication skills. And the best versions of these conversations occur when the leader is willing to make themselves vulnerable and share with me what keeps them “up at night.” The list of things that cause sleeplessness for […]
Keeping the Right Communication “Clubs” in Your Golf Bag
Posted On January 8, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
In the game of golf, not every shot is the same. The variables change with every shot: distance to the hole, your lie, whether you are in the fairway/rough/sand trap, the weather conditions, what hole you are on and the score vs your opponent. All of these variables, and others as well, will dictate which […]
A Suggested New Year’s Resolution
Posted On January 2, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
Good morning to our clients and friends around the world! Happy new year! We hope you all had a restful and joyous holiday, and we look forward to charging ahead into 2024 with you. Here is a quick thought to get our year started off correctly, something that we are taking on here at The […]
An Unexpected Call for Help
Posted On December 27, 2023 BY Dean Brenner
(Author’s Note: The following story happened on December 6, 2021 during a quiet afternoon at our office. I happened to be sitting at our conference table with my wife Emily. We were having lunch, doing Christmas cards, and just making small talk about all the things we had to get done between then and the […]
Happy Holidays from The Latimer Group
Posted On December 22, 2023 BY Dean Brenner
Good morning, clients and friends! We are winding down our year here at The Latimer Group, and wanted to take a few moments to share some final thoughts before we close our office for the year. This is a great time of year to be grateful for the people and the things around us. And […]
Leadership is Rarely Smooth and Easy
Posted On December 19, 2023 BY Dean Brenner
All of us are leaders in one way or another. We all lead, either formally or informally, constantly or occasionally, officially or unofficially. But we all lead. This is a skill that everyone needs to know at least a little something about. In addition, it is important to remember that no two leadership situations are […]
Executive Presence: The Art Of Projecting Leadership
Posted On December 12, 2023 BY Dean Brenner
Think about the best leader you’ve ever witnessed, listened to, or seen in action. What made her/him compelling? I am sure there is a wide range of answers that you might give to explain what made them compelling. But among the many different answers, there would absolutely be some answers centered around said leader’s presence. […]
The Absence of Conflict
Posted On December 6, 2023 BY Dean Brenner
I love thinking about teams. I love considering the best ways to get a group of people on the same page, and working together towards a common goal. I love thinking about how to create an environment that will make great people want to be on the team. And here is one of my favorite […]