My friend Miss Take – the professor of the school of lessons-from-experience — taught me a good one again this week. It was a “dad mistake,” but reminiscent of “boss mistakes” I’ve seen and boss mistakes I’ve made. In short, I forgot that central authority figures speak with a megaphone, even when they think they’re … Continued
I have never enjoyed reading the work of people who write like they know everything. I have always resisted following people who acted like they were superior. Because I don’t trust people with big egos. I suspect you’re similar and share two secrets for managing these problematic people. We think of people who have big … Continued
Someone once told me: The two most important words in the English language are “after you.” Can we reconcile this lovely thought with our rigid notion of “the leader,” a word and concept, which quite literally describes the one in front? Yes! Because in great leadership we follow others, as is appropriate to the situation. … Continued
The buck just might stop with you. So, don’t pass it!!! A faulty ignition switch on a number of General Motors vehicles led to the deaths of at least 13 people. The buck now sits with GM’s new CEO Mary Barra. (The celebratory cakes honoring Ms. Barra, GM’s first female CEO were hardly sliced before … Continued
I was just talking to a good friend and his 9th grade son, and I asked the youngster: “Who’s the leader in your house — your mom or your dad?” His mom who’s been largely stay-at-home is now re-entering the work force. His dad is the breadwinner, the bigger of the two, the main driver … Continued
This marks the final column, and to me, the most interesting data from our mini-research inquiry on managerial coaching. While the first two were about how frequently people would like to be coached, today’s data is about the what – On what do we like to be coached? Before we jump to the findings, however, a … Continued
Last week I was teaching the principles and practice of “coaching” at an “executive boot camp” and these women and men were good. I asked for volunteers to give me feedback and the two who took turns were s-m-o-o-o-t-h. They complimented me first and made me comfortable before delivering the coaching that I requested. One … Continued
I got a call a while back from a founding CEO of a growing company. He asked if I would coach him. I liked him from the beginning. He said, “I’ve been an individual performer. But I need to learn to be a leader.” My best coaching clients have been the ones who EAGERLY want … Continued
There’s an absolutely deadly, yet little-known combo that can destroy the prospect of creativity and initiative, on the part of so-called followers. Here’s the math that I shared about — and with – my students, as I began a class on risk-taking on Monday: 50 students x 12 years of pre-college schooling x 180 days … Continued
My reading of Daniel Goleman’s fascinating book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence has coincided this week with a powerful experience of “a field” of energy in a group. Goleman writes persuasively about how important it is to be able to change our focus, and to focus upon things that our conscious minds have never known they … Continued