Is it a sign of weakness when a leader apologizes? It’s a question that’s come up quite a bit lately in conversations I’ve had with managers. Certainly enough has happened in all business sizes since 2008 that would warrant a thoughtful consideration to the question. In my conversations with managers, the question is met with […] Read more… Read More»
The dominant way leaders and employees work together is outdated, divisive. It alienates employees and managers from one another. The familiar way is that employees accept a paycheck in exchange for work. Keep personal interests outside of work. Stay within your defined box. Imbued in this relationship is a command-and-control hierarchy. Charlene Li’s work has […] Read more… Read More»
The faint buzzing sound accompanied by employees arriving to work is from rote behavior of “plugging” in and re-running the daily activities dominating corporate life. Too many of our workplaces have become a place where employees plug in, do their work, unplug and go home. The monotony has sucked out joy from work. And we’ve […] Read more… Read More»
Don’t be so naive to think that what you stand for as a leader can be verbally communicated. When it comes to your stand, your words mean less. Let your actions speak volumes for what you believe. When your actions speak volumes, people will hear your words. Graphic by Shawn Murphy […] Read more… Read More»
Employees are still worried about losing their job. Teams are stretched to fit a mountain of work unrealistically paced and planned. The pressure to perform, produce, ship is ratcheted up a notch or two. What we have is a revving up of output-energy that cannot be sustained. The outcome: people will fail. Projects will fail. […] Read more… Read More»
Forget about foreplay. Let’s go straight to it: why are you here? Here in this world. This is no attempt to have a philosophical conversation. Nor is it an attempt to spread metaphysical platitudes. I ask you this question with my two feet planted firmly on the ground, head NOT in the clouds. See in […] Read more… Read More»
In the throws of conflict we all have cringe-worthy stories of when our actions and words were inappropriate or over-the-top. You know the moment when you say or do something and you immediately think, “CRAP!” At work recovering from those moments of being a jerk is crucial to your success. What’s more important is team […] Read more… Read More»
This is conclusion of a two part post. Read part one here. “The servant leader is servant first . . . it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, serve first. Then conscious choice bring one to aspire to lead.” Robert Greenleaf wrote the above quote in his 1970 essay on servant […] Read more… Read More»
Is there ever a time when it’s okay to turn your back on someone? It’s a question that surfaces often in my consulting work. Whether it be helping an organization, a team, or an individual work through change, there is always one person, or a small but vocal group, who plays the foil. We often […] Read more… Read More»
As you stop in the moment to understand what’s happening around you, you realize that you’ve ended somewhere unplanned. You’ve found yourself in a place you’ve not imagined for yourself. You ask yourself, “How did I get here?*” The answer to the question is less important than why. Are you where you are in life […] Read more… Read More»