Some leaders only know one speed. They “wanna go fast” – liked the famed race car driver Ricky Bobby in the fun movie, Talladega Nights. But “going fast” is not always the best thing for your organization. Effective leaders learn the right tempo to set for their team and organization. In a recent article in Harvard Business Review, former Harvard Business School Dean N … [Read more...] about Set Your Leadership Tempo
Resilience
How You Can Counter Pessimism
Like a dark cloud, negativity can hang over a team or organization when things are not going well. Pessimism can be like a death spiral and leaders often have difficulty pulling out of it. Even after the worst of a corporate restructuring, market downturn, or project crisis has passed, teams often remain stuck in a rut—flat in meetings, silent with new ideas, and c … [Read more...] about How You Can Counter Pessimism
Polite Ways You Can Say No
You want the elusive “Balanced Life” and cannot seem to get there. Maybe you need to say “no” more often. I learned this the hard way when I had so much stress that I believe it contributed to a cancer diagnosis. That was 43 years ago – I am happy to be alive and that I learned to start saying “no” more often. Here is an interesting list from Matt Rutherford on ten ways … [Read more...] about Polite Ways You Can Say No
When You Cannot Manage Change
A friend pulls out a 64-square game board and asks, “Want to play?” You see two games: chess or checkers. So, you ask, “Which one?” Today’s organizations – for profit, NGO, and government – confront challenges that, like the board, invite two different games: traditional management and adaptive practice. To know which, you must ask: Is this a “we know how to do this” c … [Read more...] about When You Cannot Manage Change
Training Employees Pays Off Twice
When companies evaluate employee training programs, the conversation almost always centers on direct Return on Investment (ROI): Does upskilling a frontline worker make that specific employee more productive? But according to recent research featured in Harvard Business Review, traditional metrics miss nearly half the equation. Findings reveal a powerful hidden dynamic: … [Read more...] about Training Employees Pays Off Twice