I am still not convinced that Senator Clinton can win the democratic nomination. She seems to still be struggling with the likability factor, and her husband continues to cause problems for her with the media and the public at large. However, there is one thing I have to say that is working for Clinton…she’s a fighter, and she does not back down or give up, even in the face of adversity.

She won Pennsylvania yesterday by 10 points. This still keeps Obama squarely in the lead with 1714 delegates to Clinton’s 1584. BUT…She said she was going to win PA, and she did.

I have learned in life a valuable lesson…that giving up too soon is often the reason for failure. Much of this has to do with the craving we have in today’s world for instant results and immediate gratification. When we have a setback, we often throw up our hands and say “I quit”.

We hear it every day…that setbacks and failures are a part of success. We seem to get it intellectually, but we often can’t seem to internalize it enough to make the change. Today, as you are reading this blog, think of a past failure or setback and what this watershed moment did for you in your life. What did you learn? How did life change? How did you grow? You may be surprised that you will find a few pieces of gold in those thorns.

In the work I do each day, I coach and consult for the A Players of the world…you know…the superstars who are always going to do well and who are shooting for the moon in everything they touch.

I have found that the majority of A Players are usually quite comfortable working with the boss and top decision makers in the company, yet they are often less comfortable working with the B and C players in the organization (Superstars thrive by spending time with other superstars or people who are ahead of them in rank). If the superstar is going to move ahead in the organization (or career), developing relationships with people who are hierarchically below them will be critical to their success. By giving them the opportunity to teach and mentor B and C players, the superstar can learn the people skills needed to advance.

Most A Players respond quite well to a manager’s offer of bigger, better challenges (challenges that stretch their creativity, project management skills and results). This is an opportunity to impress the top decision makers in the company and to develop skills which can further their career.

While it may be hard to believe, most A Players often live with a lot of insecurities (Winston Churchill is one such example). They have usually lived the life of an over-achiever due to pressures from authority figures, and they go over and beyond to do the best job possible. A manager can help by giving the A Player a job for which she was perfectly designed for, allowing her to succeed and then giving praise publicly for a job well done. The praise does have to be genuine, or the superstar will dismiss it as bogus. It is important to remove platitudes from the praise and focus on her unique skill sets and how that skill set has affected the outcome and the people on the team. Example: “Susan. Your work on the XYZ project was outstanding. I was so impressed at how detailed your project plan was and how you finished the project on time and slightly under budget. You are such a role model for the other team members, and I want to thank you for your hard work.” Superstars love to hear about their results and their hard work.

If you are leading a superstar, I encourage you to take the time today to map out a plan for her development. Get her involved in that plan, and watch as the superstar shoots for the moon!

I was watching yesterday as Pope Benedict XVI was inspiring our country, and I was thinking about how difficult and disciplined a man has to be in order to lead the Catholic Church (all eyes are certainly on you). I came across this blog post today on Harvard Business Review by John Baldone on How a Pope Leads. Check it out…very insightful.

This short article by the title of So You Think You’re a Good Listener by Harvard Business Review may be concise but powerful (amazing how a point can get across with a less is more approach). The article points out that the main reason for poor listening ties directly back to a manager’s receptiveness to hearing bad news, difficult issues or criticism. As a result, employees say that they avoid giving the boss or manager anything but the good stuff.

There are a few other wedges which get in the way of solid listening, including. Look at this list and consider which ones apply to you:

1) You are distracted by noise, overwhelm or a lack of time

2) You are way too busy formulating your response

3) You are biased about the people you listen to and those you don’t

4) You are listening through a veil of “What’s in it for me?”

5) You are interrupting people to get to a quick solutions because time is scarce

6) You are living with your own assumptions about this situation or person

7) You completely miss the point that someone is making, because you know your thoughts are the only ones worth paying attention to

8)And finally…the one from Harvard Business Review…You just don’t want to hear bad news

A great practice is one that my coach gave me over a year ago: Live one day and just listen. Rather than dole out advice or cut people off, simply respond by saying “I understand” or “I hear you”. Don’t interrupt people and try to finish their sentence or give any ideas…just listen. The more you listen, the more you will understand the full context of the message being delivered.

Did I get your attention with the title?

Good. I hope so.

In the book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t, author Robert Sutton goes into a concise view of the jerks we have in many of our organizations around the country. He discusses corporate bullying, manipulation and control and gives some great advice on how to stop it. The sad thing is that in reading his book, I know a few people just like this, and I get e-mails occasionally from a few who I would never want to work with. It makes me sweat just thinking about it.

This post is one of the most important you are going to read this week. In light of what happened recently in Florida with a few teen girls beating up another girl (who by the way had been bullied and beat up by these girls for months), I have to take a stand and tell you this “Stop taking orders or working for/with a bully!” If we don’t stop it now, this is going to continue forever, and these corporate bullies are the people who are teaching our teens to go beat the s— out of another teen. I am so fired up about this story…it makes me sick!

Here are the signs that you are probably being bullied at work:

1) You are working day and night, only to be criticized by your boss or manager

2) You are being intentionally left out of meetings or social engagements with co-workers

3) You are hearing gossip about you from your work colleagues

4) You wake up in the morning, nauseated and with a headache, and you call in sick more than you know you should

5) You are doing work for your boss, and he/she is taking credit for your ideas and labor

6) You are noticing that you are being sabotaged at every turn

7) You can cut the tension with a knife

8)Your boss/manager is constantly asking you to work an ungodly schedule

So…if you are someone who is experiencing this, then please, please ask for help. And by all means, get out of the environment. Let’s put an end to this madness now!