It is an easy trap to fall into. We are all very busy and tend to focus on the issues that seem to require the most immediate attention today. And sometimes we don’t look out far enough – even six, nine, twelve months – to notice trends of importance. And then all of a sudden – panic strikes!!! And last minute panic is usually not very effective. One of the great tips … [Read more...] about Panic Sooner!
leadership
Inspiring a Sense of Urgency
I was inspired to write this prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers football game last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. I was worried. The Steelers had shown no “sense of urgency” during the prior week against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and almost lost. “They cannot afford to do that with Cincinnati, ” I worried, “Coach Tomlin better find a way to inspire a sense of … [Read more...] about Inspiring a Sense of Urgency
Improve Your “Tribe’s” Performance
Interestingly enough, focusing your organization’s “tribe” on your values can actually lead to higher levels of performance. It makes sense when you think about it. Imagine that an organization has clearly answered the questions “Why are we here? & What do we stand for?” – and that this is widely understood among the staff and key volunteers; your “tribe.” Establishing … [Read more...] about Improve Your “Tribe’s” Performance
Quick Tips from the book “Drive”
“Carrots and sticks are so last century. Drive says for 21st century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery & purpose.” That’s the “Twitter Summary” – provided by the author himself – of Daniel Pink’s most recent book, Drive. It’s a good summary, but here are my take-aways along with some of my interpretation added in. Most organizations today are run like … [Read more...] about Quick Tips from the book “Drive”
Your Leadership Pipeline
Next week I will be teaching a two day course on Leadership Succession for NeighborWorks America (www.nw.org) in Atlanta. A few years ago the leaders at NeighborWorks – a national network of organizations which work to provide affordable housing across the country – realized that their local organizations needed to be prepared for the inevitable retirements of Baby … [Read more...] about Your Leadership Pipeline