Highfill Performance Group

I sat in a room listening to a consultant drone on about his change plan. It was a lot like listening to an oak tree deliver the I Have a Dream speech. He had the big name behind him and used all the right words, but his actions didn’t back him up. “Change is about people,” [...]

I walked through an office not long ago and listened to some conversations being held in hallways and bathroom. Yes, as my daughter says, I was a “creeper.” But I was trying to get a sense for the environment in this particular organization. In a matter of five minutes I counted at least twelve different [...]

My dog goes to doggy daycare where he has playtime, naptime, and a cot for naps (yes, please take a moment to make fun of THAT fact). While I’m a little ashamed to admit I pack a bag lunch for my dog, I have to admit that I’ve learned a lot about leadership while watching [...]

As a child I never had a security blanket, but I did have a stuffed animal named “Cutie-pie.” I can still see him (yes, somehow I knew it was male). He was white with black eyes, black nose, red velvet ears, and a red tongue. He was in a sitting position, and had a small [...]

An acorn fell on an unsuspecting, nervous chicken. Unaware that it was an acorn, Chicken Little decided it was something much, much bigger. Henny Penny: “Where are you going, Chicken Little?” Chicken Little: “Oh help! The sky is falling!” Henny Penny: “How do you know?” Chicken Little: “I saw it with my own eyes, and [...]

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” ― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz I’ve used this literary reference more than any other during my many years of speaking. Why? Because every single one of us has a curtain that we keep shut to protect the very vulnerable parts of ourselves. I see it [...]

I remember a woman I worked with years ago who drove me crazy. She came to meetings and dominated them with her constant talking. She joked around when she should have been serious. I made her my number one topic, determined to get her to change these annoying behaviors by talking about her to others. [...]