Author: Dr. Jim Taylor

Recent Posts

One Reason Why Ted Ligety Dominates GS

Great video of why Ted Ligety, the 2014 Olympic gold medalist in giant slalom, is so dominant. He just skis better than everyone else!

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Finish the Season Strong!

It’s hard to believe, but there is only about a month of the race season left. After many days of training and racing, the end is in sight. At this late point in the season, you will have fallen into one of three camps as far as how your season has gone. First, you may […]

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Leader-as-Person: Who You Are is How You Lead

In my first post in this series on leadership in the corporate world, I introduced you to the notion that there are roles that leaders must fulfill to be successful: person, performer, team builder, decision maker, and change agent. This post will explore what I believe lies at the heart of leadership: leader-as-person, who you are is how you lead.

As I alluded to in my first post, I take a contrarian view of leadership: I don’t believe in leadership styles. Despite the many books written about leadership styles, I would argue that we are not capable of leading in ways that conflict with who we are. In other words, we can’t be someone we are not.

Certainly, it is possible to expand the range of your leadership capabilities around the anchor of who you are; a great leader is always looking for ways to improve their leadership skills. For example, if you are an intense and emotional leader, you can learn to moderate your emotional reactions during a crisis to some degree. At the same time, it’s not likely you will ever be a Zen-type leader.

Within notion of leader-as-person, the key for you is to fully understand who you are and, given who you are, maximize your effectiveness as a leader. With this information, you can then identify the strengths and weaknesses you have as a leader and can work to build your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses, thus allowing who you are to emerge as a more effective leader.

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Allow Your Children to Create a Secure World

In two previous posts on the topic of raising secure children, I discussed the importance of your children developing a secure attachment with you and a sense of security within themselves. The third message of security gains increasing importance as your children achieve full mobility, move beyond the prescribed limits of their immediate family, and […]

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Great Article about the Power of Mental Imagery in Sports

Here’s a great article about how Winter Olympians use mental imagery. It supports my belief that mental imagery is a powerful and essential tool in an athlete’s toolbox.

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Ted Ligety Took His Own Path to Ski Racing Success

A great profile of Ted Ligety last Sunday. A worthwhile read that offers insights into what has made him such a success in ski racing. Like Bode Miller, Ted chose an unconventional approach to greatness. Important lessons to be learned for all.

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Instill a Secure Self in Your Children

In my first post looking at how to raise secure children, I explored how you can help ensure that your children have a secure attachment with you. The second message of security involves children’s sense of security that they develop about themselves. For children to feel truly secure, they must believe that they have mastery […]

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Bode Being Bode…Again: 6 Lessons Worth Learning

Are you really surprised that Bode Miller has begun this Olympic season with such success? Three World Cup podiums to start off the season? In one way, I am really surprised, while in another way, I’m not at all surprised. I’m surprised for several reasons. First, Bode is not, by ski racing standards, a young […]

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Qualifying: The Season of Excitement…and Dread

‘Tis the season for qualifying. You may want to make the cut for the state championships, U16, U18, or U.S. nationals, or the NCAA championships. You may even have been hoping to qualify for the Sochi Olympics. I can assure you that you are not alone whatever your situation or whatever you are feeling. This […]

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Taylor Post Gets HuffPost Headline

I’m excited that my recent business-related post, The Five Things Great Leaders Must Do Very Well, nabbed the headline on the Huffington Post Small Businesses page.

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