The responsibilities of leadership provide us with continual challenges. Should you be decisive? Yes! Or wait, maybe you should be more deliberative? Should you stay the course? Yes! Or wait, maybe it is time to pivot? Each leadership challenge tests us and there are no easy answers to these kinds of questions. The answer will depend upon nuances of the … [Read more...] about The Yin and Yang of Leadership
leadership
Building Team Accountability
High performing teams hold one another accountable, and this is emphasized as one of the key tenets of teamwork in Patrick Lencioni’s best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. However – this is easier said than done. A lot of bosses are conflict avoidant, and so they do not follow-up. As an outcome of this, high performers often end up leaving the … [Read more...] about Building Team Accountability
Build a Culture of Appreciation
You honestly appreciate your team and you probably think that they know it. You are probably wrong. According to research reported in Harvard Business Review*, many leaders incorrectly assume that the team they work with know how they feel about them. They call this an “illusion of transparency.” In other words, no – people cannot read your mind; or your heart. Here … [Read more...] about Build a Culture of Appreciation
You Can’t Announce a Shared Vision
More than one enthusiastic new CEO has told me “I plan to announce my vision at our first staff meeting” (usually said with a grin - sort of like “announce my presence with authority”). My general rule is that I don’t provide advice unless asked, and when I have been asked by a new CEO about this plan I have said “Well, you might consider holding off on that for a while.” … [Read more...] about You Can’t Announce a Shared Vision
Advice for Your Return to the Office
Many of you are preparing to start working back in your offices. Be forewarned – that re-entry may be bumpy. When reentering the atmosphere, astronauts experience a period of turbulence where there is great suspense, extreme heat, interrupted communication, and everything happens at remarkable speed. We should expect to undergo a threshold of discomfort as we … [Read more...] about Advice for Your Return to the Office