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…
DetailsThe CEO prowled the stage like a panther. He had total control of PowerPoint, was animated in sharing his experience and made the thousands in the conference hall feel as if he was speaking directly to them. The team left the keynote feeling inspired to produce great things, confident in their decision of joining the…
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…
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…
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…
DetailsI am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. – Mark Twain In Bits & Pieces a few years back a story is told of Somerset Maugham, the English writer, who once wrote about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young…
Details“The greatest humiliation in life is to work hard on something from which you expect great appreciation, and then fail to get it.” Edgar Watson Howe During our communication workshops for leaders and managers, we ask participants to write ten positive things about one of their employees. Although some complete the assignment with ease, this…
DetailsAfter nearly five years since my last flight as a private pilot, it felt great to get out flying again with an instructor. It was amazing how much past knowledge came back so quickly. That shows the power of repetition from the original flight training nearly 10 years ago! And speaking of repetition… it seems…
DetailsA boss of mine early on in my career had a tough, almost bulldog, style. He was a pragmatic, no nonsense guy. He didn’t have a wide vocabulary and didn’t spend a lot of time talking about concepts. He was super loyal to the company and even more so to the branch of which he…
DetailsSo much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work. – Peter Drucker A story is told of a man flying in a hot air balloon who realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon and shouts, “Excuse me, can…
DetailsThere have been several times when I was swamped with hundreds of resumes for a single job posting – how does one screen down to the best applicants without taking days and days of effort? 1) Define your most unique, critical requirements in the job Do you require certain unique characteristics that are essential for…
DetailsJFK, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa. You probably think the only thing they have in common is that they are all now deceased. Guess again. When they were alive, each of them seemed to have some sort of aura to them, which many considered to be the gift of charisma. In fact,…
DetailsHave you ever worked for a manager who was extra fussy about policies, procedures and doing things in a very specific way? One of the exercises in our Front Line Leadership program involves having participants act out different leadership styles to see how they impact results and employee satisfaction. One of the styles is called…
DetailsWhen I hear somebody sigh that life is hard, I am always tempted to ask, compared to what? – Sydney Harris What are the top challenges you face as a leader in your business or organization? In a list generated by Sheryl Nance-Nash at dailyfinance.com she provides the Top 10 Challenges for CEO’s in 2011.…
DetailsDo you have a marginally performing employee? Not sure exactly what to do? Should you keep supporting them? When (in what circumstances) should you terminate their employment? A friend of mine, a certified executive coach, gave a great example of how to simplify decisions when dealing with low-performing staff: Determine if your employee has the…
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