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
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
As a leader, you’re in the well-being business. Why? Because when people feel better (physically, emotionally, and mentally) they perform better. They’re also more motivated. Thus, it’s in your best interest to know which drivers influence well-being most. Unfortunately, the main go-to motivator in many organization is money. Now, there’s nothing wrong with money per … Read more
If it were you, which would you most prefer? No choice Someone else’s choice for me My choice The answer is obvious: In general, we prefer to make our own choices.There’s a freedom that comes from making our own choices. This is the heart of empowerment:the ability to be directly involved in our work. This … Read more
Jane has been recently promoted to Senior Manager at a technology firm. When I met Jane, she told me her most pressing problem: I have some really smart people on my team. While that seems great, they’re really challenging to lead. What should I do? Leading highly intelligent people is a double-edged sword. The (obvious) … Read more
Not long ago, toothpaste had an identity problem. If you remember, all tubes looked like this: They took up a lot of prime shelf space in the medicine cabinet. They’d only lay flat, unless you put it in a cup. Getting the last of the paste out of the tube was hard work. (Let’s not … Read more
Have you ever been washing the dishes and you were instantly hit with a flash of inspiration? Or maybe you were taking a shower, or going for a run, or commuting to work, or just about to fall asleep, and you suddenly came up with a great new idea? I’ve asked hundreds of leaders the … Read more
Mael is concerned. He doesn’t want to be the latest victim of the Peter Principle: the phenomenon where people are promoted to their own level of incompetence. An outgoing, gregarious personality, Mael is one of the most popular (and in-demand) personal trainers at a local gym. The owner has just promoted Mael. He’s now the Head … Read more
This past Tuesday, I was on a conference call with Mindy, an HR Director for a financial services company. I asked her what her company’s biggest leadership issues are. Mindy said, “Our leaders don’t hold their people accountable.”Mindy’s company is not alone. Accountability is an issue for many organizations.According to a survey conducted by AMA Enterprise, … Read more
