Leading With Fairness, Respect & Support

4 Minute Read

We’ve all been there. And some are still there. Maybe this will remind you of the people on your team. In a spot where what was once a career is now just a job – a means to an end. All purpose is gone and people don’t feel valued. Negative behaviors have become the norm. It feels like some have given up. People start to feel stuck or are keeping their eyes peeled for a new job…far, far away from here. What happened?

The short answer: YOU could be the problem.In fact, an HBR survey revealed that 58% of people say they would trust a complete stranger over their own boss. That’s over half of your workforce. Do we have your attention yet?

Leadership Challenges: What We Can Learn from 9/11

4 Minute Read

For some, it may just be a terrible memory; but for one four-star general, the events of 9/11 (along with other military experiences) brought about leadership challenges that he never expected.

In his thought-provoking TedTalk, Stanley McChrystal details experiences in the military that taught him some very tough lessons. He reflects on the team he worked with and their combat stories. He openly shares their successes and the stories of their failures. McChrystal had to abandon his traditional sense of leadership and start listening, be willing to learn, and address the possibility of failure. One of the greatest leadership challenges out there is to build consensus between people and a sense of shared purpose. Even between remote teams, those with different values, and those of differing skill sets.

Change, LeadershipSeptember 8, 2020Inspirational Leadership, leadership, leadership challengesComment

Do You Need an Executive Coach?

Change, Company Culture, Leadership, StrategyJuly 3, 2019ceo, coach, executive, executive coach, executive coaching, executive coaching and leadership development, executive coaching session, leadership, outside perspective, status quo, TrustComment

How to hold people accountable without ruining relationships.

4 Minute Read

Picture this scenario: People at work are unengaged. You can feel your direct reports whispering about you around the water cooler. Sometimes you feel walked on. And your team thinks that they can get away with anything…because you won’t do anything about it. Does any of this sound familiar?

Having crucial conversations with your team is hard. We know our employees have good intentions. But sometimes, they make mistakes, or we need to correct performance issues. And holding them accountable for missing the mark can be extremely uncomfortable.

Creating Critical Thinkers In A Society Of Test Takers

Communication, Leadership, TrainingApril 2, 2019Asking Questions, critical analysis, Critical Thinker, critical thinking, Decision-Making, how to make a decision, how to think critically, leader, leadership, Questions, rational thinking, Right Questions, Thinking Critically Comment

More than half of your employees are unhappy.

What Candyland Can Teach You About Leadership

Communication, Leadership, Motivation, Retaining EmployeesNovember 27, 2018candyland, communication, communication trust, Goals, growth, leadership, meaning, motivation, purpose, strengths, trust communicationComment

True Leadership: Be the Example

LeadershipSeptember 13, 2017hurricane harvey, hurricane irma, leadership, leading in tough times, true leadership Comment

The Value of Dutiful Followers

4 Minute Read

Doris was the type of employee you could set your watch to. She arrived at 7:50am each day and left no later than 5:10pm. Her day was spent doing administrative work—much of it routine, identical to the day before, and the day before that. Through the years everyone got used to her reaction to change. If her schedule was interrupted, you needed to give at least a 48-hour notice. Larger interruptions, such as painting the office or a software upgrade would require a series of one-to-one meetings, coddling, and accommodation. Reading this, one might think that people resented Doris when, actually, the opposite is true. The vast majority of employees liked and valued Doris. She was punctual to a fault, extremely dependable and as emotionally predictable as they come.

Do you have people on your team like Doris? How about the person who isn’t exactly a ball of fire, but also doesn’t make waves? What about employees who don’t want to become supervisors or even team leaders? They just want to do their job and go home.