There’s all sorts of science out there that supports the notion that gratitude is good for us. Psychology Today, for instance, ran an article not long ago that listed seven “scientifically proven” benefits of having a thankful attitude. Among them: You’ll be more physically fit, sleep better, and increase your mental strength. Plus, you’ll become fabulously wealthy.

Ok, I made that last one up. But if it does happen, you’ll have another reason to be thankful. In the meantime, you might need some other reasons to embrace an attitude of gratitude. But when you’re counting those blessings, don’t limit yourself…

If your organization’s culture sits on either end of two extremes, you don’t need an engagement survey or a high-priced consultant to confirm your reality. You can feel the energy when things are amazing, and you can smell the stench when things are rotting away in your business.

But what if things are somewhere in between? What if you’re unsure if things are heading in the right direction? Or what if you’re confident they’re really good, but you want a heads-up before you suddenly realize you’re whiffing six-day old cod?

You might need that engagement survey, and you may need…

The summit of Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley) is 20,310 feet above sea level, and Werner Berger was 200 feet from the peak. Just another 20 minutes of climbing and he would cross the tallest mountain in North America off his list. The weather, however, had turned nasty. And rather than risk getting caught in a whiteout, Berger’s group turned back.

“Everybody was so disappointed for me and wondered how we could possibly quit that close,” Berger told me. “And for me, it was just a complete delight. The climb was just spectacular. I cannot even verbalize how phenomenal…

The world is full of people who call themselves leaders, but woefully short of Extreme Leaders. Perhaps you think that’s OK. Extreme Leaders, you might reason, are only needed for extreme circumstances — a soldier taking fellow troops into battle, a Sherpa guiding climbers up Mount Everest, or a quarterback directing a potential game-winning drive in the Super Bowl. Everyday life, you might say, requires only everyday leaders.

But here’s the reality: Everyday leaders who aren’t also Extreme Leaders aren’t taking anyone anywhere worth going. They risk very little and gain very little. …

Heshie Segal is my friend. I don’t mean that as a disclaimer, but as a prime example of what you’re about to learn from her.

British anthropologist Robin Dunbar famously estimated that humans can maintain a social circle of no more than 150 people, with no more than five people in our “closest layer” of friends.

For entrepreneurs who depend on networks of relationships, that might seem a bit discouraging, if not downright depressing. Take heart. The way it is doesn’t have to be the way it stays. …

Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers first recorded the song “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” in 1944, and many stars have covered the tune–Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Barry Manilow, and, for you punk fans, The Vindictives, just to name a few. But for David Corbin, it was a version by a dancing bear that stood out.

Corbin, a friend I’ve grown to respect as a fellow professional speaker and mentor of mentors, was watching the video with his daughter. The dancing bear was happily advising his audience to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. …

Every business leader I know is looking for the same thing: An edge. They all want that elusive something that will get their team and their organization ahead of — or keep them ahead of — their competition. And one place many look for it is by investing in the wisdom of an outsider — the professional business speaker.

Yeah, that’s me. But I’m one of many, some good and some, well … caveat emptor, as the Romans used to say. …

You’ve known them–the energy-suckers in your midst that appear to be out to ruin your day or drain the life out of your team or company.

Not only are they expensive, demoralizing, and infuriating, toxic employees can bring teamwork to a grinding halt, jeopardize goals, and potentially become an enormous liability.

In this infographic, Reuben Yonaton of GetVoIP, categorizes these folks and offers ways to cure their respective maladies.

Have a look, and let me know if it rings true for you.

Hopefully, you won’t see yourself in here:

Learn more management tips at www.stevefarber.com.