People often ask me how I became successful and what keeps me going. One of the biggest factors is that I’m a big believer in ongoing personal and professional growth. As Mark Miller and I wrote in Great Leaders Grow, “The path to increased influence, impact, and leadership effectiveness is paved with personal growth.… Our capacity… Read More
Is Style 1 the Same as Micromanaging?
We all know that when someone describes their boss as a micromanager, it’s not a compliment. The word conjures up a vision of a person feverishly working at their desk with a scowling supervisor standing over them, breathing down their neck. Even though I just painted an unappealing picture of micromanagement, there are times when… Read More
Helping People Work Through Disillusionment
As leaders, we’ve all seen it happen: Your direct report starts a new project or task, filled with excitement about what they can achieve. While they may not have all the skills they need, they’re enthusiastic about learning what to do, taking action, and achieving their goal. A few weeks go by. The next time… Read More
To Survive and Thrive, Engage Everyone in Innovation
Innovation requires change, and change is hard. I often joke with audiences that the only one who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper. But unless they want outdated products, stale services, and dwindling revenues, leaders need to encourage innovation throughout their organizations. I say “throughout their organizations” because it’s a mistake to… Read More
Who Are the Innovators of Today?
It’s commonly assumed that the top leaders in organizations are the ones who come up with the best ideas—ideas that lead to positive changes such as new products, bigger profits, better customer service, higher employee engagement, lower turnover, etc. But this is a misconception. Executives at successful companies know that all the brains are not in the… Read More
Leaders Must Extend Trust First
Trust is essential for any healthy relationship. Warren Buffet once likened trust to the air we breathe. “When it is present,” he said, “nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.” In a working relationship, it’s up to you as a leader to make the first move to extend trust. This often comes as… Read More
3 Steps to Achieving Your 2024 Goals
It’s January, a time when individuals, teams, and organizations set goals for the year ahead. Things usually start off well. Rested from the holidays, we commit to our goals and begin with enthusiasm. All too often, though, we soon get caught in what I call the “activity trap.” We are busy working on tasks—but not… Read More
Let’s Catch People Doing Something Right in 2024
Catching people doing things right and praising them is a timeless principle I learned and began practicing and teaching years ago. It is a powerful tool for bringing out the best in others. So instead of making a personal New Year’s resolution this year, I want to make one to share with leaders everywhere: Make… Read More
Are You Merely Interested in Being a Trusted Servant Leader—or Are You Committed?
Most of us can remember a time when we had every intention of accomplishing a specific goal, but didn’t follow through. Perhaps we were beginning to get serious about joining a group, learning a skill, or improving ourselves in some way—but when it came time to act on the idea, for some reason we lost… Read More
Processing Gratitude During Difficult Times
Hard to believe, but it’s already November. Where has the year gone? Every year in November I write about the importance of having an attitude of gratitude. But I certainly understand how wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, mass shootings in the US, and other tragedies dominating the news can make it a lot… Read More
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