Leadership Talk
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Conquering the Fear of Rapid Decision Making
Leaders are required to make decisions and deliver results. When we face a problem, we make decisions, we act, and we succeed, fail, and sometimes learn. As we reflect on a decision, we often find that the determination and subsequent actions were available to us...
A Quick Guide to Why Coaching Does Not Work
I’ve coached leaders from both sides now, from give and take, and still somehow, I really don’t know clouds at all…wait, lost my way for a moment. I’ve worked with leaders as an internal and external coach for over 20 years. I’m here to tell you that coaching doesn’t...