It would be terrific (and terribly convenient) if leadership development occurred uniformly in a two or three day workshop. It would be great if our organizational change efforts happened instantaneously and all the result of a single email … [Read more...]
Leadership Development is a No-Brainer
A 2007 McKinsey report (“Management Practice & Productivity: Why they matter”) on the impact of effective management practices on productivity has gotten a lot of attention on twitter recently and is yet another example of the power of leadership. … [Read more...]
#Leadership to Get Us Unstuck
We are stuck. We have woven our economies inextricably together. And yet, governments around the world seem to be attempting to address the challenges we face as if national boundaries are not porous and we are not forevermore interconnected as a … [Read more...]
Lead Without Holding On
The path of leadership is not about experiencing comfort or certainty. Wanting to get the business or the team to a place of equilibrium is what keeps us miserable as leaders. There is no autopilot. If we are constantly seeking to find pleasure or … [Read more...]
3 Skills of Transformative Leadership
Transformative Leadership is the capacity to impact and engage others in an important work that causes forward movement with positive effect. There are three skills that enable strong transformative leadership. Transformative leaders must be able to … [Read more...]
Back Away From The Phone
I was asked to observe a leadership team in action recently to give them some feedback on their interactions as a team. Throughout the meeting, people kept checking their cell phones for emails and texts. This happens every day in meetings in … [Read more...]
Leadership and Communication: First, Do No Harm
“A primary role of leaders is to design, convene, and host conversations that matter.” This statement by David Isaacs is true in light of the fact that conversation is a core business process. Business, like relationships, happens through … [Read more...]
Remembering MLK
Today in the US we fittingly remember and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Time and circumstance called to a generation; and, Martin Luther King, Jr. in a courageous act of leadership, answered the call. Dr. King’s work was an ongoing … [Read more...]
The Influence Leader
All leaders face three realities; first, they cannot succeed without engaging others and convincing them to devote time, energy, and resources to the leader’s objectives. Second, leaders have no direct authority over most of the people they are … [Read more...]
The Incredible Lightness of Leading
“Lighten up, Francis.” I love this line from Stripes (great movie, by the way). It is a constant reminder to me and to any leader that we run into trouble when we take ourselves too seriously. Most of us are not in roles where we are making life and … [Read more...]