BP's CEO Resigns. Gas Prices Skyrocket. And New Jersey Drivers Still Don't Pump Their Own Gas.

What's the connection among those headlines?

Well, they're all fuel for thought on the hidden costs of self-serve leadership.

And they provide a perfect excuse to ask yourself these four questions:

1 - Am I unwittingly signaling that I've got it all figured out?

2 - What's the true ROI of the time and energy I spend on self-help resources?

3 - Are my company's internal L&D efforts actually hindering leadership sustainability?

4 - Are "full-service" third-party coaching resources merely filling me up with nice-sounding — but impractical — tools?

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Pennsylvania's spotted lanternfly infestation hasn't been blamed on frac'ing...yet.

But when the media (inevitably) does report (one-sidedly) on some kind of (flimsy) link, are you and your fellow industry leaders ready to squash yet another onslaught of energy lies as enthusiastically as kids across PA have been squashing lanternflies this summer?

If your answer is no, then check out this episode of The Energy Detox, which uses the "Kill it! Squash it, smash it" campaign from the PA Department of Agriculture to help arm you and your stakeholders with the tools necessary to eradicate (figurative) spotted lanternflies that are wreaking havoc inside and outside of your organization.

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Can you imagine anything more sickening than dumping human waste on an audience looking up to you for inspiration?

Well, that's what happens every time toxic communications unwittingly spill from your lips.

And that's what Episode 82 of The Energy Detox will help you recognize, mitigate, and clean up.

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How can the art of pitch framing help your leadership performance stay above the Mendoza Line?

Find out in this West Coast edition of The Energy Detox podcast, where you’ll explore the parallels between the skills necessary to be an effective catcher in Major League Baseball and the skills necessary to be an effective leader in the oil and gas industry. Drawing inspiration from baseball's best pitch framer, Austin Hedges, we reveal four essential leadership lessons:

1) Positioning for Success

2) Giving (and Getting) Credit Where Credit is Due

3) Exhibiting Executive Presence

4) Building Trust

By adopting pitch framing principles, energy leaders can elevate their performance, steer their teams to success, and create a positive ripple effect throughout their organizations.

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To prevent (corporate) wildfires, follow these 4 Smokey-inspired leadership tips:

1 - Speak the same language as your audience, NOT in easily dismissed or ignored talking points. For example, when speaking to an environmentalist about headlines linking fossil fuels and Canadian forest fires, acknowledge their disappointment regarding the millions of acres of lost trees...and calmly point out that you'd need to burn 3-4 million acres of forests per year to generate the same amount of energy the United States produces from natural gas.

2 - Manage excessive "fuel loads" in your team. Regularly clear out rumors, uncertainties, and unresolved issues that may be causing stress or confusion.

3 - Ensure effective "fire suppression" by giving people the space they need to execute, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, and avoiding micromanagement.

4 - Eliminate the "diseases and insects" leading to large areas of dead and dying wood. Actively remove any toxic or unproductive elements causing decay or harm.

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As 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen closes in on career hit number 2,000, Mountain Valley Pipeline is finally closing in on completion of its ongoing construction/permitting saga that will have taken over 2,000 days from start to TIL.

So, what can these 2 MVP milestones tell you about sustainable leadership and, more specifically, the importance of striking a balance between energy & environment?

To find out, check out this Episode 79 of The Energy Detox.

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Do you spend enough time encouraging your employees to steal?

If not, check out this episode of The Energy Detox, where you'll hear:

1) how a theft-based culture can actually be the key to sustained success; and

2) why it's up to you as a leader to implement rules that make it easier for your employees to steal.

Curious where the inspiration for this unconventional leadership advice comes from?

Well, look no further than the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have have used every tool (sword?) at their disposal—including roster construction, data analytics, and MLB's bigger bases—to lead the majors in steals and, more importantly, to lead the National League in wins (…at least as of the recording of this episode).

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As you raise a ShaleRock Shake™ to the GREEN energy that we’re LUCKY to have below our feet, take a moment to ask how many industry leaders you know who are...

🤢Full of malarkey

🍀Over-dependent on luck; and

🐍Unwilling to drive the snakes out of their organizations.

☘️To help you answer that question and honor today's blending of Shale & Shamrocks, check out this World Shale Energy Day & St. Patrick's Day episode of The Energy Detox.

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How was Pittsburgh's Fern Hollow Bridge reconstructed so quickly?

A) Local and state government got out of the way and used emergency declarations to remove red tape that would have normally caused a project like this to take 3-4 years;

B) The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allowed PennDOT to quickly dedicate $25.3 million in federal funds to the Fern Hollow project without impacting other regional infrastructure needs; or

C) The original bridge was hauled out of the way, which meant the contractor had extra space to work and didn't have to worry about maintaining traffic flow during construction.

Regardless of how much answers 'A' and 'B' factored into the bridge's rapid reconstruction, it's answer 'C' that is most relevant as you kick off the new year.

Why?

Because you and your teams are unwittingly wasting time, energy, and money maintaining "bridges" that need to be demolished and disposed of.

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“Tangible, Impactful, Local”—the mantra of the CNX Foundation—is clearly reflected in the $1 million commitment that CNX is making to broadband expansion in Greene County.

"Tangible, Impactful, Local"—or TIL for short—also happens to be a handy leadership mnemonic you can use to determine whether you're...

1) consciously maximizing the potential of EXISTING resources (like a multi-million dollar well or pipeline or compressor station that you simply have to Turn In Line—or TIL for short); or

2) unwittingly abandoning the investments of time, money, and energy you've already made and, in turn, falling victim to some shiny new "leadership" initiative that's actually just a bunch of abstract, irrelevant, generic ideas likely to produce uninspiring and unsustainable results.

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Oil & gas companies can't avoid industry-wide booms and busts, but they CAN avoid costly BOOMerang leadership changes due to BUSTed succession planning practices.

Tapping into some lessons from Disney's boomeranging of Bob Iger—who replaced his successor Bob Chapek yesterday—this episode of The Energy Detox will help you answer these 3 succession-related questions:

1) In what ways are you settling for a warm body or the "next-in-line" instead of proactively fighting for the best talent possible?

2) How has the narrative about the difficulty "everyone is facing" when it comes to attracting talent (true as it may be) caused you to lower the bar, to stop thinking outside the box, and to change your definition of the "ideal candidate?"

3) What are all the ways that the time, energy, and money wasted on rectifying failed succession planning have caused you and your team to deviate from your company's core mission?

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How many heads of state at COP27 regret signing up for failed energy policies?

How many investors regret buying into the FTX hype?

How many voters regret casting their ballot 6 weeks before Election Day?

How many of those people have the intellectual honesty to ADMIT their mistakes instead of rationalizing and doubling down on regretful decisions?

Regardless of the answers to those questions, YOUR poor response to buyer's remorse—in business, politics, and life—can drain you of time, money, and energy.

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Reality set in for Notre Dame’s “Smoke & Mirrors” football season 20 years ago when the 8-0 Fighting Irish—wearing green jerseys at home for the first time in 17 years—were upset by Boston College.

Reality is setting in for Ireland’s “Smoke & Mirrors” energy policy as the Irish—stubbornly relying on a short-sighted view of “green” energy that has led to a continued rebuke of LNG facilities—have made the country the “worst prepared in Europe” in terms of their ability to withstand an energy crisis.

With these 2 green history lessons in mind, ask yourself:

“In what ways am I allowing a short-sighted acceptance of surface level “facts” to fog up my decision-making, putting myself and my team in very upsetting positions?”

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Are you like Allegheny County Council, which decided to toss away the undeniable benefits of natural gas development in order to score political points?

Are you so set in your ways that you would rather shut down conversations about potential win-win scenarios than do your job by critically considering all future opportunities that could benefit your stakeholders?

Are you a member of the energy industry who shakes your head at the short-sightedness of many government officials...while missing out on opportunities to tell those officials what you think as an individual citizen?

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Are you like Allegheny County Council, which decided to toss away the undeniable benefits of natural gas development in order to score political points?

Are you so set in your ways that you would rather shut down conversations about potential win-win scenarios than do your job by critically considering all future opportunities that could benefit your stakeholders?

Are you a member of the energy industry who shakes your head at the short-sightedness of many government officials...while missing out on opportunities to tell those officials what you think as an individual citizen?

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You know that a hurried Energy Transition would cost trillions of dollars and may upend the lives of millions of people around the world already facing energy insecurity....so, is the net impact worth it?

You know how irritating it is when someone says, "Hey, I've got a 'quick question' for ya," knowing how likely it is that their question is neither quick nor important....so, is the fact that you do the same thing to others on a regular basis worth it?

You know that a “quick peak” at social media can cost you an hour or more of productivity....so, is scrolling through nauseating LinkedIn posts and watching a video from another self-proclaimed "coach" worth it?

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In light of yesterday's US/EU LNG deal, it's time to create a new federal position:

LNG Ambassador

And while you might argue that EQT’s Toby Rice has already been playing the role of LNG Ambassador, perhaps his #UnleashUSLNG campaign could use an assist from none other than NBA Hall-of-Famer John Stockton.

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Is there any better day than today—National Poultry Day—to ask yourself:

"In what ways am I acting like a chicken?"

And is there any better month than March—Women's History Month—to ask yourself:

"How are the chickens leading my company unwittingly stifling the career development of our organization's women despite all of the surface level corporate commitments to 'diversity, equity, and inclusion?'"

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What better day to honor Chuck Woolery—former host of 'Love Connection' and owner of the classic pre-commercial-break phrase, "We'll be back in two and two"—than today, Tuesday 2/22/22?

And what better way to honor Chuck & and 'Love Connection' than by taking 2 minutes and 2 seconds to ask yourself how many of the connections in your life—be they related to love, business, career, faith, friendship, etc.—are INTENTIONAL connections...

...and how many of of your connections are merely based on feelings, passions, opinions, and trends that are as volatile as the price of oil?

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In honor of Jerome Bettis’ 50th birthday, this episode of The Energy Detox will share the many ways that The Bus exemplifies sustainable leadership.

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