Leadership in business often uses the same principles we apply in everyday life. Consider the following life situations: Puppy training: Our family has just acquired a puppy, and our training program has interesting parallels to my past days of supervising in the office. Maintain Consistent Rules – Remain firm and apply the same rules…
DetailsBy far the single biggest concern I hear from managers I work with is, “How can I get my people to do more?” Their number one challenge is how to ensure their employees are motivated. For the answer to this question we turn to the sales professional. Superior salespeople do many things well but one…
Details“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” – William James Your belief system paints a picture of your world, how you relate to it, andwhat you attract into your life as a result. What…
DetailsThis has been a hotly debated issue among those of us who work in the so-called “soft skills” area. Our clients, understandably so, want a high degree of certainty that their investment in training will generate certain outcomes. In particular, that their trainees will learn and successfully apply the skills taught. And they would prefer…
DetailsWhen I say the word ‘ambitious,’ who is the first person that comes to mind? Is it the political leader who will stop at nothing to win an election? The CEO who aggressively pursues expansion plans, regardless of the economic climate? Maybe it makes you think of your favorite NFL quarterback whose competitiveness kept them…
DetailsMost of us have had the experience, at least once in our career, of working for a boss who loved his/her role because it was all about: I’m special (after all, they made me the boss) I deserve extra respect (because I’m special, of course) I have real power (try opposing me and you’ll feel…
DetailsWe’ve all lived this before. Sally, the manager, asks her employee Gary to prepare a market analysis report for next week. Gary moans and says he doesn’t think he can do it by then . . . too much work and, besides, why not give it to Sherry who has a marketing background. The manager…
DetailsWhen asked, the majority of executives, managers and supervisors agree that they frequently make decisions, answer questions and solve problems that should be handled at one or two levels below them. By handling these problems, decisions and questions at the wrong level, the organization is experiencing a kind of waste. Wasted talent, reduced quality and…
DetailsIt being New Year’s time again, Bill George recently blogged about “Five Resolutions for Aspiring Leaders.” He talked about things you can do to develop yourself, beyond what you do in your direct job: such as finding a mentor, setting up a mastermind type group with other emerging and aspiring leaders,volunteering in the community in…
DetailsI love data. I’m naturally drawn to articles that feature statistics, which is probably why I tend to quote them often. With that in mind, I found this encouraging stat the other day: A recent poll of about 100 corporate HR practitioners and leaders reveals that nearly all (98 percent) anticipate maintaining current levels or…
DetailsSome of the organizations I work with are facing an interesting paradox: On the one hand the culture/satisfaction survey results aren’t where management would like to see them. On the other hand, the feedback I’m receiving says that employees care deeply about the organization and its success. How can these two seemingly opposite data points…
DetailsWhenever a leader is within the sightline of his or her employees, communication is occuring. What message is your face and body language communicating without you even having to open your mouth? Communication continues to be a problem for virtually every organization. You would think that after recognizing the problem for this long we would…
DetailsThis blog is an excerpt from a feedback session with a client who was seen for coaching to improve his ability to develop interpersonal relationships. He is in his mid-20’s and not currently involved in a significant relationship. He reported a previous experience with a 16-Type measure that indicated a preference for ISTJ (which was…
DetailsSome organizations, especially ones that are more bureaucratic can begin to develop a culture where the punishment for mistakes exceeds the praise for success. Organizations can get bogged down because employees are focused on playing it safe, fearing career-limiting consequences for making mistakes. In sporting terms, they play defense more than offence. This hiding tendency…
DetailsAh, Mark Zuckerberg. The brainchild behind the product that everyone wishes they created. Okay, when you think of a leader, Mark Zuckerberg is probably not the first person you would automatically draw inspiration from. He’s not the best speaker, wears t-shirts no matter the occasion, and gives mediocre interviews. And as a result there are…
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