We want and appreciate comments to this blog. We really do want to know what you’re thinking. But, there are those who see an invite to comment as an opportunity to advertise their products and services. Most annoying are those who want us to use their content generation services. They… Read More »Three Steps to Ease Your Transition to Your New Team
Our leadership students come from many different companies. Most come from companies with great cultures that take an active interest in their employees and develop them into engaged individuals with a vested interest in organizational success. Others…not so much. I’ve had a number of students who, unfortunately, worked in environments… Read More »Stuck in a toxic work culture? Three thoughts on what to do.
My wife gave me a DNA kit for Christmas. It’s pretty simple. You spit into a tube and mail it in. In a few weeks your results come back telling you where your ancestral roots most likely trace. I found that my roots are solidly in the British Isles with… Read More »Know Thy Team: Why Leaders Should Learn Who Their Team Members Really Are
Your teenage daughter walks in to the house after school looking sullen and without her characteristic after school greeting. You ask, “How was school?†“Fine†is the answer. But a few seconds later the slam of a bedroom door indicates to you that everything, indeed, is not fine. The silent treatment continues into dinner despite your efforts to find out what the problem is. Thank goodness at work you get to deal with mature adults where nothing like this ever happens, right? Right.
You’ve noticed that Bill, one of your team members, isn’t his usual self. In fact, it seems like he is being downright rude. He’s doing the work, mostly, but he’s not being as punctual and you are finding more than the usual number of errors in his stuff. He also has been kind of sarcastic in meetings. Not to the point of open insubordination, but still, it’s getting annoying. You finally ask, “Bill, everything OK?†“It’s fine.†Sound familiar?Read More »That cold shoulder just might be feedback…Are you listening?
January 13, 1982 was a cold day in Washington DC. The temperature hovered at 24 degrees and heavy snow was falling. At 4:00 PM, after waiting 1 hour and 45 minutes for Washington National Airport to reopen, Air Florida Flight 90 took off bound for Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Boeing… Read More »How to Prevent a Team Disaster
Hope is not a strategy. You’ve probably heard that before and it’s certainly true. We can’t hope success into existence. Hoping will not accomplish goals. Hoping bills get paid doesn’t pay the bills. Those accomplishments require positive action. To be successful, we must actually do something. Hope is not a… Read More »Hope is Not a Strategy: But it is Important
The change of command was over and as the new commander I would soon be meeting my new staff. Truth was, I had been the operations officer, the second-in-command, and knew the staff fairly well. I also knew that I was inheriting what I was certain was the worst secretary… Read More »What does a leader do when stuck with a poor performer?
How to Avoid Those Pesky Resolutions Every year I advise against New Year’s resolutions. They usually don’t work and just cause stress. You know the cycle: make a resolution, diligently strive to achieve the resolution, start to stress because you’re not achieving the resolution, forget about the resolution and return… Read More »How to Avoid Those Pesky Resolutions
In this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. May songs of joy fill your home with warmth and your heart with happiness. Thank you, and best wishes for the holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year.
See you in 2017! Be great.Read More »Season’s Greetings from your friends at The Daedalus Group
In a recent interview on CNBC, Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo talked about a meeting with Steve Jobs where Jobs told her “If you really feel strongly about something — if you don’t like something people are doing — throw a temper tantrum. Throw things around, because people have got… Read More »How to be an Assertive Leader