Managing “UP” the Organization or Fixing a Bad Boss
Do you have one of those hard-to-work-for bad bosses? OK, that’s too kind. Is your boss a jerk? Do you sometimes want to pull your hair out? Or even throw things after a talk with Mr./Mrs. Wonderful? Bad bosses almost always lack emotional intelligence. They play favorites, gossip, and have private agendas not always in […]
Leaders: Are You a 2023 Contender or a Pretender?
If your desire is to be a better manager at work, at home, or in the community, you may want to develop some actual leadership skills. However, if you are already following certain leadership principles, there is always room for lifting the lid to expand your reach and influence. After many years of working with […]
Leaders: There’s a New Way to Understand Change
Author’s NOTE: I wrote the first version of this article in 2018 – a full 2 years BEFORE the whole world locked down and faced the COVID-19 pandemic. Business has not been the same since. At a recent luncheon, I was involved in a discussion that I find becoming more common. The topic was this: […]
6 Great Questions to Lead Your Team
Being a leader requires the ability to build rapport with your team. Those following you must have good reason to do so. Every time you have a one-on-one, you have a big opportunity to add to and build that individual rapport.
What Are You Waiting For?
There comes a time in life when you’ve done all the thinking, study, analysis, and planning you can do. You reach a decision point. Then it happens. You freeze. You cannot go forward. You’re stuck. The question is then, what are you waiting for? What is it that holds you back, makes you balk? How […]
Change and Progress, Are They Twins?
Change for the sake of change is meaningless. However, progress toward a new goal or achievement is more vital and more valuable to your organization.
Burn the Boats – The Toughest Leadership Command
We all like Plan “B” options that afford us an escape when things don’t work out. In 1519, Captain Hernán Cortés landed in Veracruz to begin his great conquest. Upon arriving, he gave the order to his men to burn the ships.
Breaking Through the Invisible Wall
In business, there is an invisible wall between good management and great leadership. You can break through that wall.
To Be a Great Leader, You Must Inspect What You Expect
Inspect what you expect. This is an old saying that I learned decades ago. What does it mean, exactly? And what does it have to do with leadership? Well… Have you been guilty of spouting a directive then letting it die a natural death? We’ve all done it at one point or another—whether accidentally or […]
Why Trust Matters to Leaders; Leaders Build Trust
For decades, business leaders have been equipping themselves with every book, philosophy, reward, and program the so-called experts have convinced them to buy into, yet companies everywhere continue to struggle with toxic cultures, low performance from teams, and the unhappiness that go with them. Yet how can leaders build trust? From our earliest days on […]