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?
One of the most effective communication skills a leader can have is to stay on message. I was assigned to lead an organization that had various different and largely disparate responsibilities, none of which seemed to have much in common. We were a collection of small groups, but definitely not… Read More »Effective Communication Skills: Stay on Message
Do I have to like everyone on my team? Should all my team members like each other? The answer leads to team conflict resolution. Bad team conflict is to be expected and we’ve written about it before. That conflict comes from the fact that each one of us is a unique… Read More »Team Conflict Resolution
Leadership fundamentals training sounds basic and it is. But that doesn’t mean the skills we present are not applicable to your individual situation. In fact, good application of basic leadership skills can make you most successful. Jack gave me a hard time for the entire three-day leadership course, constantly complaining… Read More »Leadership Fundamentals Training – Why Knowing How to Apply Basic Leadership Skills is Essential
Leadership communication is one of the leading impediments to high functioning teams. Here are six steps to improve your leadership communication. 1. Recognize that your perspective is likely different from your team members. You’re approaching the topic from a different point of view and probably have information they don’t. You know… Read More »6 Steps to Better Leadership Communication
Are you the smartest person on the team? I hope you said no. But, if you look at your whole team and say to yourself, “I really am smarter than all the rest of them,†then maybe you need to find another job.
All leaders want stars on the team and there is plenty of advice available about how to hire the “right” people. That’s great. I’m all for building the best team possible, but is selecting team members the only way to do that? My military experience provides an interesting answer. Military… Read More »Why Can’t I Build a Team of Stars?