Posts in Leadership
Are you a Leadership Divestor or Investor?

What's your favorite and/or most nauseating leadership cliché?

"Do more with less?"

"Think outside the box?"

"There is no 'I' in team?"

"There are no stupid questions?"

Or is it, perhaps, "Don't run AWAY from something...run TOWARD something,” which is the focus of today’s episode of The Energy Detox, which is driven by a recent Hart Energy article that points out how running AWAY from fossil fuels via divestment is a short-sighted and counter-productive approach for those who erroneously THINK they're running toward a more rapid energy transition.

The reality is that a "divestment mindset" will make it more difficult to meet the growing energy needs of our planet, a goal that all "runners" should be focused on.

And, as Citi's Chief Sustainability Officer Val Smith notes in the article, "We are going to have a very disruptive transition if divestment is part of that conversation."

So with that in mind, take a moment to ponder whatever professional and personal transitions are brewing in your life and ask whether you've become overly focused on "divestment" or whether you're truly excited about investing in something new.

Read More
Danny Tanner, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Elizabeth Warren, and the Value of Leadership Humility

Q: What can Danny Tanner, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Elizabeth Warren teach you about Leadership Humility?

A: That it’s ok to ask for a little help from your friends.

🆘 Danny Tanner—played by the late Bob Saget on 'Full House'—sought the help of his friend Joey and his brother-in-law Jesse to support Danny's daughters following the death of their mother.

🆘 The Steelers sought the help of the Jaguars, Raiders, and Chargers yesterday to make the playoffs as they helped themselves to an upset road win against the Ravens.

🆘 Senator Warren SHOULD seek help from her friends in Appalachia as her Massachusetts constituents 1) face the potential of blackouts and natural gas shortages this winter; 2) pay far more for energy than residents of Pennsylvania; and 3) rely on imports of natural gas from not-so-friendly Russians.

All that being said, this episode of The Energy Detox will challenge your leadership humility and help you (G)row, (P)rotect, and (S)ustain success by encouraging you to answer these 3 questions:

💡 In what ways is your refusal to seek help hindering your ability to grow?

💡 What do you think you're protecting by ignoring assistance from others?

💡 For how long can you sustain momentum before you need a push or pull from someone else?

Read More
Episode 57: Big Ben, Heinz Ketchup, & Unwitting Bias Against “Seasoned” Energy Leaders

On January 3, 2022, “Geriatric Millennial” Ben Roethlisberger likely played his final home game for the Steelers; and the Steelers may have played their final game under the shadows of giant ‘Heinz 57’ ketchup bottles.

And in this live episode of The Energy Detox, we use those headlines to help you defend against ageism in the oil & gas industry—regardless of whether you’re on the kicking or receiving end of this value-destroying problem.

Read More
Now & Later: A Tale of Two "Bold" Leaders

"Net-Zero: To boldly go where every corporation has gone—or said they're going to go—before!"

Do you honestly believe that the predictions or resolutions you're making for the new year are "bold?"

Or do you know that what you're saying or promising isn't much different from the scripted and stale words of a CEO trying to convince his stakeholders that his company's long-term net-zero plan—or in some cases, a "plan to come up with a plan"—is something unique or praiseworthy?

Either way, this episode of The Energy Detox will help you realize that there's nothing bolder than taking action TODAY to help yourself and your company (G)row, (P)rotect, and (S)ustain success. RIGHT. NOW.

That being said—and as you devote time and #energy looking ahead to the new year and beyond—take a moment to ponder the words of Marcus Freeman from his first address to the Notre Dame football team as their head coach a few weeks ago:

"This isn't about the future...this is about right now."

Read More
Free Rapid At-Home (Toxic Leadership) Test

Are you unwittingly spreading toxicity among your professional and personal stakeholders?

Find out now by taking a simple 3-step test that merely requires answers to these questions:

1 - In what ways are you limiting the growth of those around you?

2 - How might you be protecting yourself at the expense of others?

3 - How sustainable are your demands and expectations?

NOTE: Self-administered tests have a much higher likelihood of false negatives than tests administered by an independent third party...especially if that third party also tests your friends, family, employees, co-workers, and other close contacts.

Read More
Tapping the Stra-cheese-ic Reserve for Stinky Employee Christmas Presents

What's one Christmas "gift" you've received that turned out to be nothing but trouble?

🎁 A new puppy...that immediately ate all the other presents?

🎁 A promotion...that destroyed a career?

🎁 Free cheese...that harmed the health of its lactose intolerant recipients?

🎁 Renewable energy...that led to a cold, dark Christmas?

On today's live Christmas-themed episode of The Energy Detox, we'll string together the following topics to help you be a more conscious leader...and gift-giver:

📰 The 40 year anniversary of the "Government Cheese" Program

📰 Last month's Strategic Petroleum Reserves headlines

📰 The unintended consequences of renewable #energy

And as always, we'll gift you 3 questions to help you (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success:

💡 Are you unwittingly growing a stockpile of moldy, smelly, and over-processed #leadership gimmicks?

💡 In what ways might the "gifts" you're giving your employees actually inflicting harm?

💡 What's one gift you can give your team that they'll actually still use a year from now?

Read More
Are you a “thought leader” or a “get actual stuff done” leader?

Well, with the U.S. Department of Energy announcing a new $20 billion "Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations" yesterday, what better time to ask yourself whether you're better at TALKING about your theoretical value or DEMONSTRATING your actual results.

So, to help answer that question, today's live episode of The Energy Detox turns to the personification of CLEAN ENERGY DEMONSTRATIONS: the late Pittsburgh native and OxiClean spokesman Billy Mays.

The headline: 𝐃𝐎𝐄 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐰

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 Do you have a clean and clear vision of the results your audience expects you to produce?

💡 How well are you protecting and promoting your prior successes?

💡 What are all the ways you can demonstrate your current and future impact on the "real world?"

Read More
A Well(ness) Workover for the Darkest Day

If you live north of the Equator, you'll experience the shortest, darkest day of the year today.

If you follow The Energy Detox, you probably expect some friendly reminders and/or bad puns about how the oil and gas industry helps figuratively and literally brighten the world.

If you follow workforce trends, you've undoubtedly seen headlines about rampant burnout, exhaustion, and figurative darkness permeating many organizations.

And if you tune into this live episode of "The Daily Detox," you'll answer 3 questions that will help you address employee engagement, morale, and well-being issues plaguing today’s energy industry:

💡 (G)ROW: What is ONE way you can you better connect with ONE employee TODAY?

💡 (P)ROTECT: Are you unwittingly widening fractures between corporate "wellness programs" and company culture?

💡 (S)USTAIN: How much time, money, and energy are you wasting on outside "fixes" to workplace burnout, anxiety, & disengagement?

Read More
Sustainable Leadership 101: Prevention vs. Treatment

Does it make sense for an oil & gas operator to spend $1 billion to prevent $30 million in costs associated with fishing, sidetracks, screenouts and other unplanned—yet manageable—events?

Does it make sense for leaders like you to place all your faith in a "foolproof" plan that makes you look like a fool when you're unable to adapt to some unforeseen issue?

While you're likely to answer "no" to each of those questions, you're also likely to spend more time than you should today worrying more about perfecting plans than about perfecting your ability to adapt to changing conditions...especially when it comes to talent management within your organization.

So in this live episode of The Energy Detox, we draw upon recent industry news, a recent controversial Joe Rogan podcast, and a few sports analogies to help you ask the questions needed to appropriately balance the PREVENTION of personnel problems with the TREATMENT of talent troubles so that you—and your company—emerge as a more sustainable leader.

The headline: 𝐎𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 (Rigzone)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 How might your small and stale playbook be limiting your growth potential?

💡 Are you worrying more about your competition than your customers?

💡 Have you unwittingly become over-dependent on offense, defense, or special teams?

Read More
Why are you banning fuel sources that could re-energize your organization?

When it comes to investing in yourself, your team, or your company, it's easy to default to a fairly limited menu of training & development options.

But just as the decision by New York City Council yesterday to ban clean, domestic, reliable, affordable, plentiful Natural Gas from new construction will lead to plenty of unintended consequences for NYC residents (at least the ones who don't decide to move out of NY by the time the ban takes effect), your decision—whether conscious or unconscious—to limit access to certain resources may be costing you a whole lot more than you realize.

That being said, this live episode of The Energy Detox will help YOU avoid unwittingly cutting off access to resources that can elevate you and your organization above your short-sighted competitors.

The headline: 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 (CNBC)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 What are all the resources that can best fuel sustained growth and development?

💡 Which resources are you unwittingly discouraging yourself or your stakeholders from accessing?

💡 In what ways are sexy and short-term "solutions" blinding you from proven and sustainable resources?

Read More
Will net-zero AIMs be killed before they reach age 20?

Today is not only "National Cat Herders Day," but it's also the 4th anniversary of the death of AIM: AOL Instant Messenger.

Born in May 1997, AIM left this world on December 15, 2017 at the age of 20, providing a great excuse for us today to ask how you might unwittingly be killing whatever "aims" you have as a leader...and whether the time, energy, and money you're devoting to achieving your stated intentions are really just masking the fact that you're an ineffective leader who is aimlessly trying to herd cats.

The headlines:

📰 ‘Enormous buying power of federal government’: Biden aims for carbon-neutral U.S. by 2050 with new executive order (MarketWatch)

📰 Music Industry unites to pledge net-zero emissions by 2050 (The Guardian)

📰 Nebraska aims to decarbonize its power sector by 2050 (The Hill)

The quotes:

💬 "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." - Zig Ziglar

💬 "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky

💬 "Aim small, miss small." - The Patriot

The questions:

💡 (G)ROW: How well can your stakeholders articulate your supposed goals?

💡 (P)ROTECT: What's holding your team back from taking the shots needed to secure victory?

💡 (S)USTAIN: How well can you shift between big picture targets and discreet intermediate steps?

Read More
By George, You're a Liar!

20 years ago today, news broke that George O'Leary had resigned as Notre Dame's head football coach less than 5 days after being hired.

The reason: a few "inaccuracies" on his resume.

Now, did the masters degree (that he didn't actually complete) or his time as a fullback at the University of New Hampshire (where he didn't actually play) have anything to do with why he was hired by Notre Dame? Nope...O'Leary was hired for his proven ability to coach.

Did O'Leary even remember that his resume/bio still referred to those 2 lies that he'd included 20 years prior while trying to get a job? Maybe...but 2 decades after he'd first fibbed about his credentials, those lies probably weren't keeping him up at night.

Can we really draw parallels between the resignation of a college football coach in 2001 and leaders within today's energy industry? Absolutely!

In fact, given the number of job-seekers (and gainfully employed folks) in oil and gas who are worried that their resumes "aren't good enough," today is a great day for you to consider the ways that you might be unwittingly opening yourself or others up to integrity issues that could cost you a whole lot more than just your dream job.

It's also a great day to remember that threats to your integrity are often far more subtle than the blatant threats posed by countless phone scammers trying to take advantage of utility customers over the holiday season...

The headline: 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲, 𝐏𝐆&𝐄 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦 (Business Wire)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 What are you most tempted to "fib" about to increase your odds of short-term success?

💡 What are the biggest daily threats to your integrity and reputation?

💡 What baggage can you get rid of to sustain the trust of your stakeholders?

Read More
Pragmatic Pittsburgh People and a New Twist on the Triple Bottom Line

A quarter century before the ESG craze swept through the corporate world, the "Triple Bottom Line"—People, Planet, Profit—demanded that companies focus more on an audience of diverse "stakeholders" instead of merely their "shareholders."

And if you were part of the audience yesterday at Hart Energy's DUG East conference in Pittsburgh, you saw examples of leaders who clarified who their primary audience is, what that audience actually cares about, and how that audience can impact their bottom line.

You may have also witnessed how similar companies can—and should—focus on DIFFERENT audiences as they refine, communicate, and execute upon their strategies.

That being said, in this live episode of The Energy Detox, we'll discuss how the messages delivered by 3 leaders at DUG East can all help you avoid wasting time, energy, and money crafting the wrong story for the wrong audience.

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 In what ways have you grown your audience at the expense of your mission?

💡 Which members of your audience are most likely to impact your social license to operate?

💡 Are you spending more time building a solid (and sustainable) foundation or a bigger (and weaker) platform?

Read More
"Regret is an appalling waste of energy"

"Regret is an appalling waste of energy."

It's safe to assume that the author Katherine Mansfield wasn't referring to the oil & gas industry when she wrote the line above.

But nearly a century after she penned those words, the reality is that regret DOES drain lots of energy (and time and money and confidence) from oil & gas leaders and their various stakeholders.

Some of that regret is more headline-grabbing than others:

• regret over hedges that led to billions of dollars in missed opportunities

• regret over acquisitions that didn't pan out as planned

• regret over the failure of corporate gambles (like the gambles Enron's leaders made over 2 decades ago)

And some of that regret is more under-the-radar:

• regret over choosing a career in a different industry

• regret over what to rename your O&G company to sound more ESG-friendly

• regret over drinking too much a company Christmas party

All that being said, every day is filled with potential regrets of all shapes and sizes; and in this live episode of The Energy Detox, we dive into some practical ways you can prevent regret—be it regret of a past decision; or fear of future regret as you face new choices—from slowing you down, wasting resources, and leaving you, your team, or your organization stuck in a ruinous rut of regret.

The headline: 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐜𝐲, 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 (CNBC)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 In what ways are you unwittingly building a strategy upon a foundation of regret?

💡 What insecurities are fueling your tendency to dwell on past decisions?

💡 How can you help others reduce regret and make stronger, faster, and more confident decisions?

Read More
Is your "arbitrage leadership" producing a "triage culture?"

Commodity price swings, extreme weather, CEO retirements, head coaching vacancies, bankruptcies, and Major League Baseball lockouts, can all be VERY disruptive...

...BUT they can also be very lucrative for certain stakeholders.

And in this live episode of The Energy Detox, we weave together all those disruptions to help you uncover hidden areas where a lack of stability and consistency is threatening your odds of achieving long-term success.

The headline: 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 $4.25 𝐚𝐬 𝐋𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 (Natural Gas Intelligence)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 How dependent is your professional and personal growth strategy on chaos and disruption?

💡 In what ways are you embracing (potentially lucrative) complexity at the expense of your ultimate mission?

💡 For how long can your stakeholders withstand the hidden costs of unnecessary volatility?

Read More
Have you unwittingly become a "Keep it in the Ground" leader?

With winter fast approaching and home heating costs rising, one might forgive leaders like Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for expressing concerns about the potential impact of LNG exports on domestic natural gas prices, as she did in letters she sent to some of the top natural gas producers in the U.S. last week.

However, as industry leaders from the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the Gas & Oil Association of WV, and the Ohio O&G Association correctly pointed out in a response to Sen. Warren yesterday, her understanding of our industry and the role of exports is misguided at best...and completely counter to our nation's best interests at worst.

All that being said, today's live episode of The Energy Detox will use Sen. Warren's misinformed take on energy to help you identify areas of your professional and personal life where you're unwittingly defaulting to a "keep it in the ground" mentality and unnecessarily hoarding resources that could be used to better your team, your organization, your community, your country, your world...and yourself.

The headline: Appalachian shale industry leaders blast Warren's letter (by Paul J. Gough of the Pittsburgh Business Times)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 In what areas your hoarding tendencies preventing you and your stakeholders from making progress toward your (stated) goals?

💡 What figurative "plastic covered living room furniture" are you afraid to sit on?

💡 How on guard should you be against the threat of being "too generous" with your precious resources?

Read More
Is Run-of-the-Mill Coaching Marching Your Team Onward to Mediocrity?

Just as Notre Dame's history and "mystique" alone are no longer enough to bring in top football talent, the oil and gas industry can no longer expect that top talent will be drawn to (or remain in) the industry because of all the things that USED to make it a top destination for recruits for so many decades.

That being said—and drawing upon breaking news regarding ND's head coach's departure to LSU (along with Jack Dorsey's departure from Twitter yesterday)—this LIVE episode of The Energy Detox will help you navigate whatever uncertainty, volatility, and competition is facing your team, whether you work in sports, tech, or energy.

Headline #1: 𝐋𝐒𝐔 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞-2015 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 (Lafayette Daily Advertiser)

Headline #2: 𝐋𝐒𝐔 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐞'𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 (Yahoo Sports)

Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz once said, “𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.”

So, drawing upon Lou for inspiration, we encourage you to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by answering these 3 questions as you go about your day:

💡 How much is your team's identity dependent on a transient & self-serving leader instead of on an enduring & inspirational vision?

💡 In what ways might a seemingly impressive win-loss record be masking issues that could lead to long-term harm?

💡 How might a focus on “sustainability” be leading you to mediocrity?

Read More
Episode 42: The Leader's Guide to the (Energy) Galaxy

• 42 years ago, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘺 was published.

• In that book by Douglas Adams, the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything" is the number 42.

• 149 years ago, the Petroleum Producers Association officially adopted the 42-gallon standard oil barrel.

• Last week, DOE's leader Jennifer Granholm couldn't recall how many barrels of oil the U.S. consumed per day.

• This morning, oil is up 4.2% on speculation that the market's reaction to the omicron variant may have been a bit overdone.

• And in this 42nd episode of The Energy Detox, we weave all of these points together in an attempt to help you define the numbers that SHOULD be driving you to be a more effective, more impactful, and more sustainable leader.

The headline: 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐒 𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐩

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 What number best measures your growth as a leader?

💡 What number will best define your legacy?

💡 What number best indicates potential barriers to sustained performance?

Read More
SARDINE LEADERS: High Oil Content, Low Toxicity, Natural Sustainability

Turkey may be the highest profile protein in the United States this week; however, in honor of "National Sardines Day"—celebrated every year on November 24—this LIVE episode of The Energy Detox dives into the many parallels between one of the world's most sustainable seafood options and some of the energy industry's most sustainable leaders.

To aid in our mission of helping you become more sardine-like as you lead people at every level of the corporate food chain, we'll also turn to some news from Stanford University, where a recent study has found that methane—captured from landfills, wastewater treatment plants, etc.—can be fed to certain bacteria that, in turn, produce a cost-effective source of fishmeal.

The headline: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 In what ways are you missing opportunities for the "bottom of the corporate food chain" to fuel your company's growth?

💡 Are your stakeholders unwittingly consuming toxins that the biggest fish in your organization have accumulated over the years?

💡 Does the "sustainability" label you've slapped on your company really carry the weight you think it does?

Read More
S.P.R.A.Y. T.A.N. to Sustain Success

S.P.R.A.Y. T.A.N. to Sustain Success: (𝐒)trategic (𝐏)etroleum (𝐑)eserve (𝐀)nalogies (𝐘)our (𝐓)alent (𝐀)pproach (𝐍)eeds 2 Sustain Success

With President Biden expected to announce that the United States (and perhaps other nations) will be making Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) withdrawals, what better time than now to explore a few energy-themed leadership analogies so that you don't find yourself making short-sighted, politically expedient decisions on behalf of your organization that MIGHT look good on the surface, but that merely mask serious issues that will eventually catch up to you and your stakeholders?

Because even though you might argue that high gasoline prices aren't enough of an "emergency" to warrant an SPR withdrawal, when it comes to oil and gas companies facing talent "emergencies," you might also argue that industry leaders are missing opportunities to fully leverage their existing talent reserve as they battle the “Great Resignation” and other personnel challenges.

So, if you're part of an organization tempted to spend (or already spending) 7 figures on some dubious and disruptive third-party "solution" to your company's culture, talent, and engagement challenges, check out this live episode of The Energy Detox, where we make sure you're tapping into the wealth of resources you already have so that your human resources team can produce faster, cheaper, and more sustainable solutions than the over-priced, short-lived, spray-tan approaches far too many organizations are defaulting to.

The headline: 𝐁𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 (CBS News)

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 In what ways are you stifling growth by under-utilizing your existing talent reserve?

💡 Why are you protecting the strength of your minor league system at the expense of your major league team?

💡 How much time, energy, and money do you waste trying to sustain an unnecessarily draining talent withdrawal and acquisition strategy?

Read More