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Category Archive: Leadership Development

The Value Of Silence In Great Teamwork

Posted by on August 21, 2017

When I used to have very low self trust, I really needed other people both to like and agree with me in team meetings. This insecurity would cause me to say too much and lean in too hard to make sure everyone knew I was both smart and right. Once I learned to be secure in myself, it dramatically removed the burden of always having to be on offense.

The best thing you can do sometimes for your team is to say nothing and this Fast Company post reminds us why:

“Have more than thou showest/Speak less than thou knowest.”

That’s a quote from King Lear, a play by William Shakespeare, who was very good at writing things. As far as the plot goes, it probably revolves around a guy named King Lear who–I’m assuming–betrays someone, or gets betrayed, or something happens mid-betrayal–likely involving poison. The point is that I’ve never read King Lear, or much Shakespeare at all for that matter.

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Good Leaders Are Good Learners

Posted by on August 16, 2017

I have attended and led a lot of formal leadership training and development. What has profited me the most is what I get through my personal leadership development platform. I collect all of my streams through Feedly.com and have the ability to sort the content by what I actually can apply. Knowledge is not learning until it becomes imbedded in our lives according to this post:

“Although organizations spend more than $24 billion annually on leadership development, many leaders who have attended leadership programs struggle to implement what they’ve learned. It’s not because the programs are bad but because leadership is best learned from experience.

Still, simply being an experienced leader doesn’t elevate a person’s skills. Like most of us, leaders often go through their experiences somewhat mindlessly, accomplishing tasks but learning little about themselves and their impact.

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5 Reasons Leaders Don't Challenge The Status Quo

Posted by on August 14, 2017

There is not an organization that I have worked with that does not want to see improvement. Especially to overall productivity and the bottom line. They talk a lot about change and moving the bar from just more efficiencies to the priority of strategic innovation. However, few are willing to move beyond their own comfort zone to make it actually happen. This Forbes post gives you the reasons why:

“How often have you seen senior leaders challenge the status quo or ask employees to think outside the box? That’s the question the Harvard Business Review put to more than 1,000 employees across industries nationwide. The result? 42% said never or almost never, 32% said sometimes, and 26% said fairly often or very often. Only 3% said always.”

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3 Words That Diminish Your Leadership Credibility

Posted by on August 7, 2017

When I first saw this post in my stream, I almost did not even read it. Then I guessed the three words before starting and when the post confirmed my thinking, I had to post this. Every time I hear these three words, I immediately am turned off and almost stop listening to what comes next. This Fast Company post will give you at least three reasons why:

“You don’t need to be told why it matters to be transparent and honest at work–that much is a given. So is the overall usefulness of expressing yourself clearly, confidently, and with as few filler words as possible. But in the effort to do that, many of us fall back on common expressions that might sound totally fine in social situations but can do some quiet damage in the workplace.”

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5 Ways To Get Great Ideas From Your Team

Posted by on July 31, 2017

I have noticed recently two extremes in my coaching when it comes to team effectiveness. One extreme has been around forever, the celebrity leader who basically uses the team exclusively for execution. The other one is where the team becomes a great place to share ideas but nothing really gets done. This post by Lauren Ruef will help you find the middle ground:

“The answers to some of your toughest business problems are closer than you think. Creative solutions, new approaches, and potential solutions aren’t going to come from outside hires or consultants. More than likely, they’re sitting in an untapped resource right under your nose—your team.”

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Overcome The Fear That's Holding You Back

Posted by on July 24, 2017

A reactive mindset at its core is that circumstances are the reason we are the way we are and not the choices we make everyday. This lack of ability to proactively lead ourselves creates a fear that paralyzes us and we get stuck in unhealthy places. This post by Michael Hyatt gives us a path forward:

“Many of us know what it’s like to feel stuck in our careers. We settle into a particular role and one day we look up and wonder why we’ve spent so long doing something we’re not fully invested in. There are many reasons why this happens, but a big one is fear of failure. We know we can do this one thing, and we don’t want to risk bellyflopping if we try something else.”

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3 Secrets To Great Leadership

Posted by on July 21, 2017

Some books that I have read have up to 21 different principles involved in great leadership. They are all true but when I need to hit the reset button, the list must be much shorter. The issues of core values and passion that line up with my strengths always top my list. This post by Kathleen Gadsby talks about her short list:

“However, leadership is so much more than learning the skills to perform within the outlined job description. I believe great leadership is, above all, knowing and leading from our true selves. When we are able to do this, the “what” of the job falls into place. To lead from your true self, consider these questions:

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Why Leaders Cannot Afford To Be Easily Offended

Posted by on July 19, 2017

Leaders who need the approval of the crowd will always be vulnerable to pleasing people at the expense of producing results. It is far more important to be respected by your team than liked. Core values drive our decisions and not the negative comments of others. Michael Hyatt has another great post:

“Here is one big downside to being a leader: You are going to draw fire. You will have critics, trolls, second-guessers, and people who insist on thinking the worst of you. You may be falsely accused of wrong motives and much worse. It’s not any fun, but it goes with the territory. And your job in the midst of all this criticism is to keep your head clear and not respond in anger.”

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Six Crucial Behaviors Of Collaboration

Posted by on July 17, 2017

Collaboration is a much talked about concept in corporate culture but often misunderstood. The reality is that it is a very effective process when teams are working on the development of strategic initiatives. However, it is the wrong approach when trying to solve problems around tactical execution. This Forbes post clarifies all of the issues:

“Most executives agree that collaboration is more important than ever in today’s turbulent business environment. In fact, a company’s very survival may depend on how well it can combine the potential of its people and the quality of the information they possess with their ability — and willingness — to share that knowledge throughout the organization.”

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The Changing Role Of Leadership In The 21st Century

Posted by on July 11, 2017

The days of all decisions being made solely at the top with a few people involved are fading fast. Throughout the Industrial Age of leadership during the last half of 20^th century this was the only model of leadership. The overwhelming percentage of the workforce was for the most part simply telling time based on the clear instructions that were given for them to follow.

Today we are leading from an Information and Idea Age model of leadership. The entire development process has been delegated to various teams so that everyone who can contribute will be involved. In essence people are now being asked to help build the clock.

Most people think the changing role of the top executives is by far the most dramatic shift that has occurred. In a sense of scope that may be true. Key leaders today do not have to know all the answers to all the questions, they only need to know what are the right questions to ask?

There primary responsibility today is to make sure they have the best possible people on their team because the quality and success of the clocks they are making will determine the future success of the entire organization.

The most dramatic shift in leadership today certainly from a standpoint of scale is not at the top but in the middle of organizations. There is a big difference in telling time compared to building clocks. Today people are daily being asked what do you think and what would you recommend?

Many organizations are caught in the middle of this transition and seem to be stuck. The problem could be that you are asking people who only know how to tell time to build clocks and they are not capable of making that change. Don’t give up on clock building just find the right people who know how to build great clocks and you will be fine.

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