There is a saying immortalized in the movie Apollo 13 that “Failure is not an option.” Truth is, in any project or operation, failure is always an option. Every. Single. Time. No one likes to fail, but it’s an inevitable part of life. I don’t know who originally said it,… Read More »Failure: The Ever-Present Option
Last month I explained that being a bad leader apparently requires at least some effort. In that vein, I provided some steps that would ensure you’re ineffective as a leader and, as a bonus, disliked and not respected by your team. Another leadership responsibility that can help you achieve status… Read More »How to be a Bad Leader – Part 2
What makes a good leader? There are countless books that claim to answer that question. In fact, by my rough estimate, if you laid all the leadership books end-to-end they would stretch for more than 35 miles. I’ve been fortunate to work for and with some very good leaders who… Read More »How to be a Bad Leader
Many leaders are leading matrixed teams. Most if not all their team members are from other parts of the company and not in the leader’s reporting chain. Often this arrangement results in the team leader feeling they don’t have real leadership authority. Although it’s true that a matrixed team leader… Read More »Leading a Matrixed Team
It’s that time again when graduates transition from the halls of academia and into the real world. So, this article from last year is still relevant. Its graduation season again. Young people, and some not so young, have rightly celebrated great achievements and are now looking forward to the start… Read More »A Word to Recent Graduate’s New Leaders
It is with much sorrow that I announce the passing of my good friend and business partner Steve Alltop. Many of you knew Steve as a leadership instructor and coach. He truly enjoyed working with our clients to help them become more effective leaders. Steve and I have been friends… Read More »Sad Announcement
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. Here are some common mistakes leaders make that have nothing to do… Read More »Mistakes Leaders Make
A boss once told me a story about a friend of his. The friend had been offered a very coveted position, one that was highly sought, but for which few were chosen. That evening he went home to tell his family but before he could say much his teenage son… Read More »Work-Life Balance
Whether you’re a new leader, or just moving to a new leadership position, you’ll probably approach your new job with at least a little trepidation. That’s natural and you should only be concerned if you don’t feel at least a little uncertainty. Even if you have some leadership experience, never… Read More »Seven Tips for New Leaders (Or anyone who wants to be a better leader)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last month, you’ve no doubt heard of Southwest Airlines difficulties with holiday travel. Passengers found themselves stuck in places they didn’t intend to stay while their luggage found separate places to hang out for the holidays. The airline, whose stock symbol… Read More »Leadership Lessons from Southwest Airlines