Is your leadership style the best one to use? It all depends. Over time, we all develop a leadership style that feels like a good fit for our personality and values. But, there may be situations in which you should shift your style to match the situation. Following are six common leadership styles and some ideas on when it is best to use each. This is based on a … [Read more...] about When to Shift Your Leadership Style
Leadership
Build a Conflict Resilient Team
Even subtle conflict can erode trust on a team – and that is a performance killer. If you are fortunate enough to work with a high performing team, keep in mind that the relationships on the team are vital. Be vigilant in nurturing those relationships. Constructive conflict is the sign of a healthy team. When team members can respectfully challenge one another’s ideas … [Read more...] about Build a Conflict Resilient Team
Performance Improvement Plans That Work
Dealing with under-performing employees is one of the biggest challenges of a leader. When faced with this situation, we need to figure out: Is this a talent issue, a training issue, a management issue, a motivation issue, or more likely – a combination. Often “Performance Improvement Plans” – PIPs – are used in this situation. Here are some ideas on how to use them … [Read more...] about Performance Improvement Plans That Work
Strategy, SWOTs, & To Do Lists
Your organization probably does not have a Strategy. Based on my consulting experience and research, I have found that what many organizations call their “strategy” is a glorified To Do List. Here is how you can turn your To Do List into a Strategy. Hopefully you have a Vision for your organization – an idea of what you want it to look like, ideally, in the future. If … [Read more...] about Strategy, SWOTs, & To Do Lists
Big, Stupid Goals vs Big, Inspiring Goals
There is an epidemic among senior leaders these days in all kinds of organizations: Setting Big, Stupid Goals. That sounds kind of harsh, so allow me to explain. It is true that research shows that higher goals generally lead to higher levels of performance. Unfortunately, this is as far as some leaders have read in their “how to be a boss” book. The “higher goals” … [Read more...] about Big, Stupid Goals vs Big, Inspiring Goals