Did you know that the smallpox virus is a possible weapon in the fight against cancer? I didn’t. And what does that have to do with leadership anyway? A couple of years ago I was a volunteer judge for the speaking portion of the Health Occupations Student Organization’s contest. One… Read More »Leadership and Smallpox
As we reflect on the events of September 11, 2001, we remember the shock and horror of that day. But, we should also remember the days that followed. For a time, we put all our differences behind us and united as a single nation with common beliefs. The nation demonstrated effective… Read More »Leadership Development: A 9-11 Lesson for Team Leaders
No one’s perfect and when the average imperfect individual finds him or herself in a leadership position, there are suddenly many more opportunities to mess up. As the scope of responsibility grows the likelihood of making mistakes increases. That’s why your leadership skills training should include a look at mistakes… Read More »Leadership Skills Training – Mistakes to Avoid
Managing change in organizations is an important step in your leadership development. The hardest part is dealing with resistance to change. You’ve worked hard to make your section a place people want to work. Everyone is familiar with your leadership philosophy and you’ve had a productive coaching session with everyone. You’ve involved… Read More »Managing Change in Organizations – Dealing With Resistance to Change
Team building is a critical aspect of your leadership development. The most effective leaders know how to develop a high-performing, cohesive team. All leaders want “rock stars” on the team and there is plenty of advice available about how to hire the “right” people. That’s great. I’m all for building… Read More »Leadership Development: Team Building and Rock Stars
“I’m not sure about that new guy. He doesn’t seem to be fitting in and doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. Why’d you hire him?†Ever have someone walk into your office and say something like this? Ever find yourself wondering why a new person on the team isn’t fitting… Read More »Leadership 101: Team Dynamics and the New Hire
O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! Robert Burns Improving leadership communication is a critical part of your leadership development. One way to be more effective is to understand what we don’t hear. With apologies to Robert Burns, we also don’t hear ourselves as… Read More »Leadership Communication: Did They Hear What You Really Meant
Why is there conflict within my team? Why does it seem like John and I can’t communicate? Why can’t this be one of those high performance teams I hear about? How do I cut the drama? Have you asked yourself questions like these? The best part of working with people… Read More »Leading High Performance Teams – How Can I Cut the Drama?
I learned a great technique for business crisis management from a particularly experienced instructor pilot in the Air Force helicopter rescue unit were we were both assigned. He said that, in an emergency, the first thing to do is “hack the clock.” I wrote about this in August – but… Read More »3-Step Business Crisis Management for Leaders
Developing leadership communication skills is a critical aspect of your leadership development. How can effective leaders communicate in a concise, professional manner?