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Leadership

Leadership Lessons from Low Tides

It’s true that high tides lift all boats. What about low tides? As leaders, we enjoy the time of rising tides and business fortunes, but experience increased complacency and expectations for the high tides to continue. The low tides provide leaders the opportunity to test their resilience, creativity, and

There's Power in Being in the Way

I’m not a believer in luck or magical thinking outside of Harry Potter novels. I am, however, a tireless advocate of being in the way. As children, being in the way led to admonishment from our parents or older siblings. As adults, being in the way creates our universe

This is why words (still) mean something

Photo credit: Leeroy for StockSnap.io There is a reasonable chance that this post will offend some readers. It touches upon free speech, accountability, and the premise that words mean something. I thought it would be enough to write it and file it away. It wasn’t. I believe we

This is what we're afraid of as leaders

Once we dispense with the notion of the fearless leader, an urban myth to lead them all, we can make our way to a list of things that go bump in the day and night. I find it helpful to name the fears, much like repeatedly saying the name Voldemort

Today's Run is Private

During my pre-dawn run this morning Venus was bright, my headlamp lit the way, and traffic was quiet. I don’t run with music anymore, so the only sounds were from a few birds rustling in the trees and my breathing and footsteps. A bat flew silently over my head

Relationships with Nepotism

“Oh yeah, I was this close to getting a chair in the Polish Philharmonic, and I nailed the audish, but I didn’t get it. You know who did? Yo-Yo Ma’s cousin, little nepotiz” Jack Black character Dewey Finn from School of Rock For some reason, nepotism has been

Two Exercises to Increase Leadership Effectiveness

Two Exercises to Increase Leadership Effectiveness

As you consider ways to increase leadership effectiveness, two exercises can help uncover and highlight your leadership style and values to share with your team. These practices are especially useful for leaders assuming new responsibilities or adding team members and serve to take personal leadership effectiveness to the next level.