Why do some ideas thrive and others die on the vine? As leaders, we often struggle to understand why our ideas and initiatives aren’t fully embraced within our organizations. We provide all the data, cover all the details, put together a dynamite PowerPoint presentation and remind everyone how important this project is to the company. Yet, we don’t understand why people aren’t buying into the message. This is very common issue in the workplace. The problem isn’t a bad idea or employee apathy. Rather, the challenge lies in a leader’s ability to make the message meaningful to their audience

I was meeting with a CEO recently who shared a story that was incredibly encouraging. He, like many other executives, had to made the tough decision to layoff some employees this past year. He was genuinely bothered by this but realized that for the long term viability of the company, he had to do it. The encouraging part is that he is still receiving Christmas cards and calls from some of these former employees. He was truly humbled by this and couldn't believe it.