How Middle Managers Provide Leadership Everyday
Let’s set aside the boring debate about managers vs. leaders for a moment and take a look at daily life for most managers in organizations. The reality is that middle managers provide real leadership all the time. Although some middle managers think their job is to...
The Dog that Rarely Bites: A Leadership Lesson
Guest Post by Timothy R. Clark, author of Leading with Character and Competence: Moving Beyond Title, Position, and Authority When a dog bites, word gets out. You stay away and keep away. There’s no discussion or negotiating with the dog; you simply avoid the...
15 Things Leaders Can Manage (and One They Can’t)
15 Things Leaders Can Manage Things Leaders Can Manage (and Should) 1. Focus and Attention You can manage what you put your attention on. You can focus strategically on where you’re going, or you can focus on short-term fires and go from crisis to crisis. 2....
Master Your Brain’s Response to Stress for Leadership Success
I'm delighted to host this guest post by one of my favorite authors, psychologist Dr. Melanie Greenberg, in honor of the release of her excellent new book The Stress-Proof Brain. In her post, she explains how our brains produce and control stress and shares three...
Dialogue Bridges the Divide
We had not discussed politics since the election, treading warily with each other, neither of us wanting to trigger an unpleasant scene. But tension was just under the surface and seeping out in other forms. Since the US presidential election, many people have...
Trust Me, You’ll Be Fine! | by Chip Bell
Guest Post by Chip Bell I was scared... really scared. It was going to be a half-mile walk home alone in the pitch dark and I was seven years old. I was helping my grandfather with a project that ended up going until dark. I called my dad to come get me and he...
Lead with (Real) Vision – Remarkable Leadership #Podcast
I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by one of my favorite leadership experts, Kevin Eikenberry, on his Remarkable Leadership Podcast about how to lead with (real) vision. During our 20 minute interview, I shared the story of what drew me to investigate...
To achieve your vision, you must be willing to tolerate discomfort…
Thursday Thoughts: Are you committed enough to your vision that you are willing to tolerate discomfort? If you are willing to hold onto your vision in the midst of discomfort, and if you are willing to live with the tension that is generated when you care about...
10 Tips from Wally to Become a Better Boss
According to Wally Bock, "If you are responsible for the performance of a group, then you're a boss." Do you have direct reports? If so, you are a boss, and you have some unique challenges and responsibilities because your own performance is evaluated based on the...
Do team values unite or divide your team?
Your team’s ability to work together effectively hinges on trust. And when values are violated, trust disintegrates. Values are our deeply held beliefs about what is right, and we all have values that guide our choices and actions. either consciously or unconsciously....
The Gift of Humiliation
No one likes to feel humiliated. It hurts. And along with hurt usually comes anger. It’s a natural reaction. It’s your ego’s way of protecting itself. You might be angry with the person who caused your humiliation, or your might turn your anger inward toward yourself....
Don’t just set SMART goals, set the RIGHT goals
Goal setting is powerful. No doubt about it. Research shows you are likely to perform at a higher level if you set SMART goals. But how do you know what are the right goals to set? Goals are milestones that mark the way on your journey. If you set the wrong goals, you...