If you have a position of leadership, you probably have a strong ego. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it can be a very good thing. Leaders are often the lightening rod for criticism of an organization. If something goes wrong, the leader takes the heat for it. Leaders need strong egos to weather these storms. When I think of the difficulty of some leadership roles I … [Read more...] about Let’s Check Our Egos at the Door
Your Cocktail Reception “Mission Conversation”
We have all heard the suggestion that we have an “elevator pitch.” It’s a good idea to have a quick summary of your mission or new business idea ready to go at a moment’s notice. But I am going to suggest that you have a longer version ready as well. In reality, you often get to talk about the mission of your organization with others in various venues – such as a coffee … [Read more...] about Your Cocktail Reception “Mission Conversation”
Leading Change Pitfalls
Leading Change is one of the most challenging tasks of top leaders. You may have memorized Kotter’s eight steps and have a big guiding coalition ready to help you out, but there are still plenty of pitfalls out there. Here are six of them to watch out for as you Lead Change:* 1. Cautious Management Culture. Peter Drucker is attributed with the quote “Culture eats … [Read more...] about Leading Change Pitfalls
The Ultimate Team Leader
Last week I made my annual visit to teach two courses for amazing nonprofit executives gathered at the NeighborWorks America Training Institute. After teaching my Leading Breakthrough Strategy and Leading High Performing Teams courses, I’m left with these reflections. The Ultimate Team Leader does these four things exceptionally well: 1. Ethical & Inclusive. This is … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Team Leader
Working Parent’s Survival Guide
As school gets started in most parts of the country, here are some tips for working parents. For those of you who are not working parents, read on and learn how you can give extra empathy to your co-workers. A recent article in Harvard Business Review* identified these challenges for working parents and how to address them: 1. Rehearse Your Transitions. Going back to … [Read more...] about Working Parent’s Survival Guide