As a leader, you create the culture that either helps your teams thrive––or barely survive. Obviously, no leader intentionally stalls or stymies a team. But even the best leaders occasionally make mistakes that freeze their people rather than free them to excel. Here’s how that happens: Avoid These 5 Mistakes Leaders Make That Cripple Teams […]
5 Leader Mistakes That Cripple Teams Read More »
In a world where someone can walk into a restaurant, shopping mall, or school and open fire on hundreds of innocent people, where jobs disappear overnight, where cancer appears suddenly on a scan, people grasp for order, stability, and control. They demand the same from communication coming to them––the email, instruction, or announcement should make
3 Tips to Communication Change That Aren’t Common Practice Read More »
Clark, my client, stopped by our office unexpected: “I have good news and bad news. The good news first. . . . A couple of partners and I just bought a small telecom—a spinoff of the division I managed before we all got laid off.” “Sounds like great news,” I said. “Maybe. If we can
3 Strategies to Connect as a Leader Read More »
I definitely made my share of bad hires in the early days as a business owner: The salesperson who never made a sale. The admin who stole our software for her sideline business. The marketing rep who continually fell asleep at her desk and did her personal errands while out of the office on “company
3 Interview Questions to Hire the Best Job Candidate Read More »
Keith, CEO of a Fortune 500 financial organization, called with an intriguing project—one I’ve never been asked to repeat elsewhere, but one with fascinating results. The Project The CEO wanted to know how much I could discover about a person’s leadership style from their writing. “I don’t know; I’ve never had occasion to test my
Do Your Emails Reveal Secrets About Your Leadership Style? Read More »
Granted, leaders gain visibility for their message by speaking at a major industry event, international conference, or even a local community affair. But just as with movies, games, and apps, leaders increase their popularity and influence to a tipping point when employees share their opinions of that leader with their colleagues. That is, Robert interacts
Leaders, What Are You Communicating With “The Little Things”? Read More »
Pop quiz here: Do you sometimes second-guess yourself about decisions until opportunities pass? Do colleagues and clients frequently seek your opinion on their big decisions? Do you often get feedback on the quality of your contributions in meetings? Do those meeting ideas produce the results you intend? Like artists, wise leaders analyze and focus on
Are You A Smart Manager or A Wise Leader? Read More »
Forget all the blather about how companies love their customers. It’s just talk. I’m convinced that 90 out of 100 organizations simply tolerate customers. Their customers represent only a means to profit, and that message comes through loud and clear to those callers all too often. Five recent examples from my own experience illustrate the
Are You Unintentionally Cutting Off Customer Communication? Read More »
If you’re a leader, a healthy dose of fear can be a good thing. In fact, if fear doesn’t push you to take a risk, to up your game, to push to top performance, you may hit rock bottom in your career. That’s especially true if you’re plan to speak before large groups of employees,
How Leaders Use Fear to Excel as Public Speakers Read More »
Leadership has been the tip of everyone’s tongue of the last decade. From convention keynoters, to coaches, to political pundits, everyone insists they want a cadre of leaders to carry out their mission. So for all the talk, techniques, training, and tips on the leadership topic, you’d think managers, executives, and professionals at all levels
Learning What Leadership Is NOT Read More »
