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Category Archive: Leadership Development

5 Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work

Posted by on August 6, 2018

The constant stress that we all deal with everyday in many ways is caused because of the almost constant connectivity we have with data. Yes, a major part comes from work but also from the media and many social platforms we chose to engage with the rest of the day. The solution is a combination of emotional intelligence and leadership development. This Forbes post is helpful:

“Everything’s going great at work. You’re operating on all cylinders, moving quickly. You’re saying yes to everything, taking on all the projects, and it seems like nothing can stop you.

Until one day, it hits you like a ton of bricks. Exhaustion and stress prevail, and you’re completely fried. You are officially burned out.”

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Nine Steps To Develop Leadership Discipline

Posted by on August 3, 2018

Great leadership is a combination of having the discipline to execute daily on major priorities while at the same time keeping one eye on your market and competition. Operational excellence is demanded but you must create a culture where strategic innovation can thrive. The Forbes Coaches Council always delivers:

“Business leaders have a tough job. They must manage themselves, lead others and keep the organization heading in the right direction. They are ultimately accountable for the organization’s success. With this comes stress, fear and other emotions that can get in the way of leadership discipline.

Working with CEOs and entrepreneurs, I have the joy of working with some fantastic leaders. I see and experience their wins — their satisfaction of doing a good job. With that, I hear and see the personal struggles, the burden of people issues and the overall frustration that comes with leading.”

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Are You Productive Enough?

Posted by on August 1, 2018

I have had to learn some very hard lessons in the area of personal productivity. I have shifted over the years from notes and to do lists to going paperless with only project management software. The technology has really helped but it can be a trap if you try to wire everything up in 15 minute segments. This HBR post asks a great question:

Productive: “Achieving or producing a significant amount of result.”
Enough: “As much or as many as required.”

“As a time management coach, I’m keenly aware that you could answer the question “Am I productive enough?” using a variety of methods. I’m also familiar with the fact that individuals fall on a productivity spectrum. One person’s maximum productivity for a certain role in a particular environment could look vastly different from another person’s. These variations result from a combination of intrinsic ability, experience level, overall capacity, and desire.”

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3 Rules For Successfully Leading Other Leaders

Posted by on July 30, 2018

Human capital is the most important asset any organization has to make a difference. The company or team that can attract, train and retain the best of the best will accomplish great things. The leadership skill set required to lead these high potential leaders is different than leading front line management. This Forbes post is worth the read:

“Many of us get to manage others at some point. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to manage leaders who manage others. This adds a different dynamic.

When presented with this opportunity, leaders shouldn’t assume that the ranks will blindly follow them given their placement on the org chart. Sure, you’ve worked hard to climb the corporate ladder and earned your leadership position. But make no mistake; carrying this attitude too far when making hiring decisions can backfire.”

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How To Build A True Following As A Leader

Posted by on July 25, 2018

The greatest need I see for leadership development among my clients is to learn how to effectively lead others without positional authority. I have seen a consistent pattern where leaders are ranked higher in all skill areas on 360’s by their direct reports than by their peers or corporate shared services partners. If you don’t build relational trust and sincerely want to invest in others you are in trouble. This Forbes post was excellent:

“Leadership is hard enough. Why make it harder trying to be all things to all people, hustling to be someone you’re not?

In reading Dr. Brené Brown’s book, Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone, my mind went to my clients and when they lead with their authentic leadership style. I’m always amazed by the freedom many of them feel when they let go of who they “should” be and show up as they are, creating a greater sense of belonging with their team.”

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You're Never Going To Be Caught Up At Work

Posted by on July 24, 2018

I will never forget the days when best practices productivity told us to plan every minute of our days for maximum effectiveness. The primary discipline then was stick with the plan and make sure you got everything done. Today, I block at least 20% of my day as open for new inputs that I know are going to blow up my best planning for the day. This HBR post helps take the guilt away:

“Most people I know have a to-do list so long that it’s not clear that there’s an end to it. Some tasks, even quite important ones, linger unfinished for a long time, and it’s easy to start feeling guilty or ashamed about what you have not yet completed.

People experience guilt and its close cousin shame when they have done something wrong. Guilt is focused internally on the behavior someone has committed, while shame tends to involve feeling like you are a bad person, particularly in the context of bad behaviors that have become public knowledge.”

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Great Leaders Are Confident, Connected, Committed And Courageous

Posted by on July 20, 2018

If you are in a significant leadership role and you hate conflict, then you might want to either move down into management or seek development. If you need the approval of the crowd then you will avoid the hard choices that will eventually lead the organization to failure. This HBR post delivers a clear message:

“In 25 years of working with leaders to do all the above, I have found a pattern that I share in my new book, Leading with Emotional Courage, consisting of four essential elements that all great leaders rely on to rally people to accomplish what’s important to them. To lead effectively — really, to live effectively — you must be confident in yourself, connected to others, committed to purpose, and emotionally courageous.”

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Seven Secrets To Inspiring Your Team

Posted by on July 16, 2018

In my leadership work I am shocked by how many teams for the most part participate in meetings that are basically a waste of time. We value collaboration but we just do not possess the competency to stop dumbing down the content so that everyone can be involved. A significant investment should be made in assessing the effectiveness of all your teams and this Forbes post is a great place to start:

“Today’s world demands more from teams than just cranking out the work. We need people who are creative, who think for themselves and build on each other’s ideas, who exceed expectations and deliver outrageous results. The question is how do you go beyond productivity, efficiency and execution to something bigger and ultimately more important?”

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What Makes You A Different Kind Of Leader?

Posted by on July 13, 2018

There is always some new tool to help us find our greatest strength or develop in an area of weakness. The mistake we often make is to either lean into our strength or obsess over what we don’t do as well. My conclusion is that both areas are important but the best approach is to be effective in all the critical path areas of leadership. This Forbes Council post gives you that list:

“Let’s face it: We’re all engaged in a rat race. We want to make our mark, to be known for something, forever competing, chasing, challenging, outthinking, outpacing and outdoing the next guy. Why? Because if you think outside the box, it will make you stand out and make it easier to mark the territory that you wish to claim.”

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Your Cause Is Not Your Purpose And How To Know The Difference

Posted by on July 11, 2018

This was a great post by Nick Craig that helped me clear up some confusion in my own life. With all the conversation around finding your Why, it is as if there is only one correct answer to what I want to accomplish in my life. The clarity around one purpose with many causes brought a lot of clarity:

“The notion this supports, that “purpose equals cause,” has become so pervasive, in fact, that many of the leaders I encounter seem to believe that some version of “saving the world” is the only worthy purpose. It sounds admirable, but the notion is flawed.”

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