“You don’t understand; I can’t do this leadership stuff with my team; they don’t report to me!†I’ve heard variations of this statement on a regular basis from students coming into our leadership courses. Sometimes it has to do with particular aspects of leading, such as coaching or accountability, while… Read More »Leading Without Authority, You Can Do It!
“I want to have more influence beyond just my small team.” The client was a little hesitant to say that, fearing it would sound arrogant or maybe power hungry. To the contrary, influential business leaders are more effective in leading their teams because they have impact outside their own sphere… Read More »How to be an Influential Business Leader
You’ve just moved to a new position, or perhaps a new boss has just come on board. The change, no matter how smooth the transition, is disruptive. A critical step in leadership development is establishing a good relationship with your boss. You want the new boss to understand how you… Read More »New Boss? Here’s What to Do
I recently saw two separate and contradictory articles about goals. The first suggested that goal setting was an artifact of management by objective and was no longer necessary in today’s business world. The other encouraged leaders to set “stretch goals” for their teams; goals for which the leader is willing… Read More »Why Stretch Goals Aren’t Effective
The national cemetery at the United States Air Force Academy sits not too far from where I live. As Memorial Day weekend approaches, I was thinking about former comrades I know that now lie in rest there and elsewhere; individuals who paid the ultimate sacrifice while in service to their country.… Read More »Memorial Day Wishes
A friend recently lamented to me that he didn’t feel he was as good at leading as he should be. He is something of a perfectionist and so I know it bothers him that he isn’t a flawless leader; as if there was such a thing. Leadership success depends… Read More »You’re in the Arena and You’re Doing Fine
Jack was always late for work. His supervisor, Bill, spoke to him about it, documented formal counseling sessions, and explained that Jack would lose his job if he didn’t start showing up on time. Each time Bill spoke to him Jack improved, but only temporarily. Bill was quite upset when… Read More »Did You Cause Motivation or Just Behavior Change?
Authentic leadership requires that we honestly evaluate our own abilities and identify our strengths and weaknesses. No one is strong in all areas and that becomes even more true as leaders rise to more responsible positions. Recently, I was having a business discussion with a friend and the subject turned… Read More »Are You an Authentic Leader?
The Captain of the ship ruling with an iron fist, the Platoon Sergeant kicking his troops into action, the CEO yelling at and berating those who accomplish the company’s mission, Hollywood is not short of bad stereotypes when it comes to leadership. But in the real world, effective organizations rarely… Read More »“Because I said so, that’s why!” Leadership at its worst
The boss called me in to tell me I was being transferred from a position I really enjoyed to one I certainly didn’t want. When I arrived at the new office I found that my predecessor had been fired and I had a strong feeling it was premature to start… Read More »A Leadership Challenge