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David Porter

Returning to the path of improvement

Returning to the path of improvement

Many leaders try on new behaviors as part of their self-improvement. These behaviors form a vulnerable veneer that easily strips away during times of stress. If the leader is resilient, they may treat the moment as a bump on the road. If less so, they may abandon the new behavior.

Letting go of control

In times of great uncertainty, we search for certainty. That search often ends with our need to control anything we can. And control shows up as more command than consult decisions, more stringent approval policies, telling more than listening, turning memos into meetings, and directing rather than collaborating. Control crowds

What the pandemic is teaching us about our collective power

What the pandemic is teaching us about our collective power

Less than a month ago, we were all facing the typical workday challenges and finding ways to manage through upsets, irritations, deadlines, and quirks in our bosses and peers. We told stories about the villains that made our days harder, we spent too much time being victims and even more

6 Ways We Lead Through Adversity

6 Ways We Lead Through Adversity

Many of us are justifiably concerned with how to lead our teams through adversity in these extraordinary times. If you are a leader charged with keeping things going, consider these tactics: Focus on stakeholders. When adversity occurs, fears run high with employees, clients, and shareholders. We tend to focus on

12 Leadership Lessons from Low Tides and Crisis

12 Leadership Lessons from Low Tides and Crisis

Note: When I first published this a few years ago, it was a cautionary tale about preparing our organizations for ordinary challenges. I hope the lessons are helpful to you now. High tides indeed lift all boats. What about low tides? As leaders, we enjoy the time of rising tides

4 Ways to Make Culture Change Personal

4 Ways to Make Culture Change Personal

At any moment in time, thousands of leaders are discussing how to change and improve their organizational cultures. How can we engage and make the change personal for us? 1. Respect the culture and leaders that came before. We change cultures to remain competitive, be more innovative, focus on delivering

5 Principles for Communicating Your Way to Team Excellence

5 Principles for Communicating Your Way to Team Excellence

My thesis is that over 90% of business issues have poor communication as a root cause. It follows that even small improvements in communication effectiveness drive outsized team results. Sometimes we choose to say nothing out of fear, shame, or concern about hurt feelings. We may feel unsafe in speaking