Volumes have been written about what does and doesn't make a good leader. To be sure, there are many moving parts to being an effective leader. And, constantly changing contexts do nothing but make the challenges more ominous. Nothing inhibits our ability to lead...
Nelson Coulter
Doom-ification
As leaders, we can create the conditions of our own demise. Here are some of the pitfalls to avoid if we intend to truly make a difference: Become Disconnected - Losing focus on the most important things the we are trying to achieve. Stay in the Spotlight - Letting...
ExcellenceTough
Individual excellence is tough. It requires skill + intense work + highly focused effort + ongoing learning + commitment to continuous improvement + getting up one more time than we get knocked down. Organizational excellence is even tougher. It requires skill +...
HopeGenesis
HOPE is not a strategy. Hope is only the genesis of strategy development. Hope is the mindset that can ignite within us purpose and action. The best leaders I know use HOPE as the starting point to pull folks into meaningful conversations about... 1) Vision - clarity...
OnPrinciple
It is immensely comforting to work for/with people (especially leaders) who operate On Principle. They speak, move, act, react, make decisions that are grounded solidly on principles of rightness, fairness, trust, and honesty. Minute-by-minute, day in and day out....
Who?
Who? Who do I know that needs to hear from me today? Who needs my ear and mind today? Who will enter my sphere of influence today, and why, and am I prepared to engage? Who do I need to meet today? Who do I need to seek out for advice and counsel today? WHO needs me...
SlowMo
One of the first exemplary leaders (aka JB) I worked for taught me the immense value of slowness. JB exuded an aura of stoicism, unflappability, studiousness. I now better understand WHAT he was doing, and WHY. JB understood, and was teaching me, that those of us who...
Amplifiers
I am a pseudo-musician. Occasionally I use an amplifier during a musical performance. While I am not classically trained, nor is my voice superbly polished, the amplifier makes me sound better than I really am. What does that amplifier do? It allows me to project my...
Ready-gation
Impactful work is always complex. It's always difficult. And it's always too much! When we choose to do impactful work, we absolutely must do it as a team. What happens far too often is that the leader sees where the work and workflow should be going, but some (or...
Graticism
Over the years I've often heard leaders posit the strategy of pairing criticism (usually of employee performance) with doses of gratitude/praise. I think of it as "graticism." The best, and usually the smartest, team members I've worked with recognize this...
