Warning: This post may not be politically correct or conform to the current expected narrative. If you are easily offended you may want to skip this one. In a recent leadership development class, a woman expressed frustration that, as a woman, her voice was not always heard or taken seriously.… Read More »The Problem With Categories
When I talk about trust in leadership development workshops, there are always some participants, often many participants who have stories about leaders who they just didn’t trust. That is not surprising but it is a little baffling. How can there be so much distrust in today’s oh-so-enlightened world? It doesn’t… Read More »Does Your Team Trust You?
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
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
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)
It seems that leadership and civility would be an easy discussion. Alas, it is not. Civility is a concept that seems to be lost in today’s society even though it is absolutely essential for good teams. A cultural shift has been happening and now it seems that being civil means… Read More »Leadership and Civility
Do you encourage a feeling of employee ownership in the company? Should you? I was speaking with a group of business owners a few years ago when the discussion swerved into how much they should tell their workers about company financials. The catalyst for this discussion was a complaint by… Read More »Is a Feeling of Employee Ownership Important?