Empathy can be defined as showing people that you understand them and care how they feel. That sounds simple enough. But why is showing empathy—especially in the workplace—so hard? Everyone in the workplace values empathy and recognizes empathy as key to driving performance outcomes. The top four perceived benefits of being an empathetic organization are: Yet, for … Read more
Over two thousand years ago, Publilius Syrus was referencing leadership when he wrote, “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” Calm is not the first word that comes to mind to describe 2020. By all measures, this year has been an ocean of commotion. As the wave of one crisis crashes into the next, … Read more
At its core, leadership is a relationship. It’s no secret that connection is a key leadership skill. If you can’t connect well, you can’t lead well. There are many practices to strengthen connection with those you lead. However, the most powerful is the keystone habit of empathy. Empathy–showing people that you understand them and that … Read more
Do you have the humility to see where your approach to leadership is failing? Do you have the courage to give that approach a total makeover? If so, you could learn a thing or two from David Laude. In 2012, Laude, a chemistry professor at the University of Texas, was at a conference in New … Read more
Multitasking. Just the very word has a glow of productivity about it. After all, if you can get one thing done, why not get three or four? What could be more efficient? Plenty, it turns out. Multitasking doesn’t really exist. Maybe it wouldn’t have such a glow if we called it what it really is: … Read more
Ken has a problem. Ken’s a finance control manager within a global finance organization. Like of the leaders I coach, Ken’s very smart. In fact, when it comes to his business specialty, he’s a subject matter expert. Ken knows the work of his team inside and out. So what’s Ken’s achilles heel? Communicating clearly. He … Read more
Have a look at the image above. It’s a picture of a Ferris Wheel. Does it look like it’s moving to you? For many people the answer is a resounding YES. Now, take a look at the image below, currently making the viral rounds on the internet. What do you see? Many see a beach, … Read more
Have you made a mistake at work? I’ve asked that question to numerous groups of leaders. Every hand in the room goes up. We all make mistakes. Yet why are they hard to admit? Because admitting them causes us pain. Psychologists call it cognitive dissonance: the stress caused from holding two ore more contradictory beliefs … Read more
Kent has resorted to complaining and alcohol. A senior IT leader for a global manufacturing company, Kent was asked to lead IT for an entire division two years ago. Given his fifteen years of service with the company, Kent felt it was an ideal next step on his professional journey. Then, eight months ago, Kathy, … Read more
I work with a lot of leaders who want to be better at managing conflict. Frankly, that’s not their real issue. What they really need to do is get better at dealing with the absence of conflict. Far more teams suffer from the disease of pseudo-harmony than overt disputes. Personal attacks are quite rare. If … Read more
