I’m always on the lookout for examples, both good and bad, of leadership in action. In this example a lack of respect demonstrated bad leadership. I was checking out at the grocery store the other day and a clerk had just opened a new register. As I started unloading my basket… Read More »The Respect Paradox
Shortly after arriving in the new organization, I asked why we were doing certain tasks that didn’t seem to make sense. This was my first job as an airplane mechanic. I was very young, impressionable and quite curious. So I was disappointed when another mechanic told me not to bother… Read More »Don’t Raise Mushrooms
“Captain, are you sure you want us to x-ray this panel?” The phone call sent a chill down my spine. I had failed in leadership and open communication. While it is common to use an x-ray to detect cracks in aircraft parts, this panel had an explosive device attached which… Read More »Did I Really Say That? – Leadership and Open Communication
Is it that time of year again for you? Time to write a performance report! Everybody loves performance reports, whether you’re giving them or receiving them…ok, nobody really likes them. They’re kind of a pain. Often that’s because we make them more difficult than they need to be. Have you… Read More »That Annoying Performance Report
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
Effective communication is one of the most important skills in leadership development. While a lot of time and effort is spent helping leaders learn how to communicate, it’s just as important to think about what you communicate as a leader. You are always communicating so it’s vitally important to make… Read More »Leadership Development: What Are You Communicating as a Leader?
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
Do you watch a person’s eyes as they review the document you just presented? You should. A persons eye movement can be a good indicator of their real reaction. How about feet? Do you look at a person’s feet? Probably not, though they are also good indicators. Does the person… Read More »Leadership Development: The Silent Language of Leaders
Last summer I checked an item off my bucket list and took up the sport of powered paragliding. It’s a unique perspective from a couple hundred feet up, moving slowly across the landscape. I’ve seen coyotes lying in long grasses waiting for prey, jackrabbits actually forming small “herds” for mutual… Read More »Sharing the Vision, Do You See What You See?
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