Recovering Leader

Leadership and Knowing When to Accept Something

I've been writing about acceptance more frequently lately because it is such an important sensibility for a leader. (Accept the present as being exactly what it is meant to be in this moment, assess realistically what is changeable and what is not, expend energy only on those things that are able to be changed.) My friend Larry challenged me to... Read more →

Remarkable Leadership from Al Gore

In his recently-released and, in my view, superb documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore reminds us that change on a global scale starts with the heart and beliefs of each of us. He does that by sharing what he believes, what the science says, and what is in his own heart. I only hope that his leadership will ignite... Read more →

LeaderTips Subscriptions

Simple posts on this blog like "Leadership and Intuition" and "Results-Oriented Questions" were originally sent to subscribers of my weekly "Monday LeaderTips." A number of these tips have appeared on BusinessWeek Online. They are sent out via email to CEO's and professionals around the world every Sunday evening. They are addressed anonymously, mailing lists are not shared or used for... Read more →

Clarify Your Culture

A leader establishes the culture of an organization by the choices they make based on their own values and assumptions. The culture strongly influences how effectively things get done. Some leaders express their values and assumptions clearly and hold their people accountable to them. Others rely on their people to interpret ‘unspoken rules’ individually, creating confusion and ambiguity. An explicit... Read more →

Results-oriented Questions

A key ingredient to getting great results is the type of questions you ask. In particular, asking “why” is not a results-oriented question. Consider the question: “Why aren’t we further ahead on this initiative?” Then, consider the questions: “What changes are needed to move this initiative ahead more effectively?” and “How can we best implement those changes?” The “why” question... Read more →

Cool Post to Check Out: Understanding the Middle East 101

Blogger David Caploe, PhD, is, I believe, an undiscovered savant in the politics, history, and issues of the Middle East, a disturbingly relevant topic these days. Dr. Caploe has the potential for being a thought leader in this area, as his insights are both penetrating and provocative. I suggested to him that he post in his blog a kind of... Read more →

Leadership and Intuition

Research has shown that conscious thought is quite limited in comparison to the much more skillful non-conscious mind. The product of this unconscious "computer" is what we call intuition. Because intuition seems intangible, and to come from thin air, some find it difficult to trust. Yet it provides rich and useful knowledge in a timely way. How can we consciously... Read more →

Leadership and Ethics: Voluntary Corporate Poverty?

Imagine how our society would improve if leaders of companies that today profit from pain or basic human need were to choose "Corporate Poverty" over the profit motive? Instead we have this: Alex Berenson reported in a story, "Big Drug Makers Post Profits That Beat Forecasts" in today's New York Times: "Merck reported profit of $1.5 billion, or 69 cents... Read more →

Trusted Advisor

Whether it's a mentor, coach, good friend, or someone else, highly effective leaders trust advisors to help them explore new ideas and discover critical solutions. One key ingredient: mutual respect and an ability to be brutally honest with each other. We appreciate the candor / talent / expertise / heart of those we choose to help us navigate the road... Read more →

Self-Coaching for the Day: Taking Your Own Inventory

Am I healthy – of mind, body, and heart – while at work? Am I energized, doing what I want to do? Am I doing my best work? Am I listening to and learning from those I lead? What do I need to change in myself that will better enable me to achieve what I am trying to accomplish? How... Read more →

LeaderTip: Acceptance and Self-Will

Acceptance is the healthiest response to people and situations that are not going to change. As leaders, we are often tempted to try and force outcomes, expending enormous energy and self-will for little gain. Acceptance does not mean you agree or approve of certain things—it means you acknowledge them as being exactly the way they are. When we take this... Read more →

Changing Your Story (Part 2 of 2)

<> Ever wonder why a very confident, successful person can be so fearful or insecure under the surface? Understanding their story is a way of understanding what makes them that way. John is a very successful leader of a major firm. He is highly respected, and people who work with and for him say that he works... Read more →

Bolton's Experimental Leadership Approach

The New York Times' Warren Hoge reported today in his story: "Bolton’s Ways Foil Goals, Envoys Say" that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton, appointed by the president in an act of self-will during a congressional recess, is trying some new Leadership techniques: "Six ambassadors separately offered similar accounts of an incident in June that they said... Read more →

Changing Your Story (Part 1 of 2)

What’s your story? It’s a surprisingly apt question for leaders. Every day when we wake up, we automatically pick up the continuing story of who, what, and how we are from where it left off the day before. Little do we realize that it’s both limiting and open to change. “Story” is a key part of our “operating system” –... Read more →

Feelings Aren't Facts

How do you feel? Feelings point the way to help leaders gain insight and guidance, not just into themselves, but their organizations. A deeply personal investment is needed to guide others to phenomenal results. Operating in balance between both facts and feelings, we are able to inspire others to do their best work. So check in with yourself regularly, assessing... Read more →

"Recovering Leader"?!?

The fierce "what have you done for me so far today?" workplace has been taking steroids, enabled by wireless and virtual office technology— it’s “always-on.” Excellent people at all levels of leadership are stressed out, and many are fed up. Each person in your organization who feels that way is doing less than their best work, to put it mildly.... Read more →

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Delegating Work

Delegation at its best launches your people into effective, independent action. Each situation and assignment is unique, but there are a small number of simple yet powerful steps involved with delegating well: Begin by making a careful assessment to determine who you can trust to get it done, and if they are capable of doing it or learning to do... Read more →

I Will Survive: Top Ten Lists

I've been writing about supporting a "family member" who has been battling cancer. Well I have to say my mom is one extraordinary mamajama, and she won, as of yesterday, is cancer free, and will not need chemotherapy. I am filled with gratitude, and am in awe of her strength. I was trying to think of a gift to leave... Read more →

Name Change -- This Blog

Tonight I've renamed this blog, formerly known as Leadership Unleashed, "The Recovering Leader." This new name reflects the common thread among the majority of ideas and opinions I like to post here, and differentiates it from my leadership coaching and consulting company, Leadership Unleashed. -David Peck Read more →

Thursday Thoughts

"Hanging onto a resentment is like swallowing poison and hoping the other person will die." "Insanity is repeating the same behavior and hoping for a different result." What I believe leads to my feelings. What I feel guides my actions. My actions generate results. New results, therefore, call for new beliefs. Acceptance is the answer to everything we cannot change... Read more →

Middle East Suffering and Leadership: Bloodshed is Never Warranted

No sustainable progress will be made until people stop killing each other, full stop. Middle East Leaders on all sides are unleashing a tsunami of pent-up anger and hate for each other, and it's building on itself, as violence and killing beget more of the same. Any so-called prophet who wants humans to kill other humans is a political tool,... Read more →

Balance: Mind, Body, Heart

Spending quite a bit of time recently as a care-giver to a family member fighting cancer, I am reminded of my own responsibility to keep my mind, body, and heart in good condition. Care-giving, like leadership, requires us to hold ourselves to a higher standard, because we need to both model the way for others, and be there for them... Read more →

Failure’s Silver Lining

During the dot com boom I was a Senior VP / General Manager at a leading financial services firm. We were herded into periodic leadership development workshops by the now-deposed co-CEO. At one point I and my peers were asked to trot around a Hyatt function room and "embrace failure" as part of success. (e.g., it took Edison thousands of... Read more →

Being Blunt

Well-placed bluntness can be a crucial tool for leaders. Even a great organization with a culture of honesty can have a project or business go off track. Once the source of the problem is identified, it’s important to answer key questions: are the people involved aware of their role in creating the situation? Have you already tried listening and coaching,... Read more →

Coaching is not Telling

Coaching a member of your team is often confused with giving them feedback or telling them how to do it better / faster / smarter. "Telling," however, often shuts down people's initiative, fostering more dependence on you. Effective leaders build self-reliance in others by coaching them. Great coaching starts with asking results-oriented questions of capable, motivated people. When challenged to... Read more →

Managing Versus Leading: Your Opinion Counts! (Part 2 of 2)

I've been thinking about the distinctions between "Managing" and "Leading." As I wrote in Part 1 (Are you leading like a manager, or managing like a leader?) a manager doesn't magically adopt the traits of a leader when they are given a position of authority. In fact, "Positional Authority" is the weakest form of leadership, and, in my book, something... Read more →

Spreadhseet Leadership: An Oxymoron

No one can disagree that solid financial management is key for any successful organization. Yet many different circumstances can create a temptation to take spreadsheets too far. When numbers dominate decision-making, the trivial can become significant, while growth and innovation tend to stop. By over-emphasizing quarterly financial results, an enterprise can literally ravage itself over time. Extraordinary leaders put first... Read more →

Taking Good Intentions Too Far

Even the most effective leaders get in their own way when good intentions are taken too far. Expansion plans can result in uncontrolled growth; desire for consensus devolves into “analysis paralysis”; a benevolent approach can turn into confusion and accountability issues. These examples show how the best intentions can seriously hinder organizational performance. The consequences emerge over time, and require... Read more →

Are you leading like a manager, or managing like a leader? (Part 1 of 2)

A manager doesn't magically become a leader just by getting to a position of greater authority. Managers typically focus on the day-to-day nuts and bolts of getting things done. Leaders, on the other hand, paint a compelling picture of the future, recruiting great people, then drawing their best work from them. Many so-called “leaders” are people in positions of greater... Read more →

Denial Busting

Extraordinary leadership requires determination to see things exactly as they are. Make it a point to recognize avoidance in yourself and those you lead. By letting denial operate under the surface, we prolong and often aggravate manageable problems, turning them into downright ugly situations at times. Take a fresh look at any long-lasting difficult situation, and you are likely to... Read more →

LeaderTip: Listening is the greatest form of communication

As leaders, we often find ourselves more on 'transmit' than 'receive.' That means we can miss important aspects of what’s going on around us. Effective listening isn't easy: much concentration is required to silence your thoughts and focus on others. Doing so engages your intuition and your heart, tools that turn your interactions into insights. Which of the following most... Read more →

Podcast LeaderTip: Listening is the greatest form of communication

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Willingness to be Wrong

A much-overlooked component of leadership is the willingness to be wrong. Great leaders use their own fallibility to help them listen with an open mind, really hearing the perspective and ideas of others. They understand that investing too much in the need to be “right” silences the feedback of others, causing them to shut up and shut down. In fact,... Read more →

A Rare Day

It's gorgeous in San Francisco today -- it's a warm and sunny Saturday, which is remarkable, as usually it's cold and foggy in the summer here. I am reminded to pay my respects to each day with my gratitude. It's a practice that's taking me years to learn, and yet is key to finding peace. Many days I am so... Read more →

Leadership and Kindness

The Kindness Edge Genuine kindness creates a competitive advantage. It needs to be valued as a key factor in success, particularly when distracted by the tyranny of delivering short-term results. When we make the needs of others a priority, we inspire loyalty and trust – which energizes people to do their best work. A leader who is both effective and... Read more →

Birthday, Bush, and North Korea: Imagining a "Point B" -- A Brighter Future

Like many, I reluctantly watched Larry King's interview of President and First Lady Bush on CNN earlier this evening. I kind of squinted as I made myself filter out my biases: the President's 36% approval rating, usual lack of clear communication, and discomfort with simple facts or even simple English. Instead, I reminded myself that he was savvy enough to... Read more →

Podcast Version: Why don't you just do what I want you to do!?

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Why don't you just do what I want you to do!?

A small business client mentioned that he was having trouble getting his people to adopt a new hiring policy. After several weeks of trying, he asked "How do I just get them to do it?!" I suggested he ask them "What stands in the way of you adopting this new policy?" to which he replied, with frustration, that he'd rather... Read more →

Business Week Online Now Carries Our Messages to Leaders

BusinessWeek Online has started carrying our "LeaderTips" (click here). Of course, the thanks mostly goes to Ken Stram's hard work, and to my collaborators on the weekly tips (David Caploe, PhD, Ray Kelly, and Larry Crevin). Their daily online "tips" column is targeted at small business (hence my typical use of the word "Leader" is replaced by "Small Business Owner"... Read more →

Leadership Lessons: Public Figures -- A Higher Standard for Free Speech?

It's time for more responsible use of Free Speech -- and no, I don't mean political correctness. I find myself awe-struck by the orbital speed that electronic media cover the globe with "sound-bytes" and opinons tossed off by public figures. So I respectfully request two special rules be imposed on anyone in the public eye when speaking publicly: ONE: They... Read more →

LeaderTip: Open Mind

Great leaders ask superb questions, while others present themselves as experts. Many – particularly people new to management roles – wrongly believe that having answers and sounding authoritative make for good leadership. Highly effective leaders understand that all progress requires learning – and that learning begins with curiosity. Consider the questions: "How can we improve our delivery on this?" and... Read more →

Insanity Shuttle Needs Leadership

According to a report by Warren E. Leary of the New York Times, "Inspectors found a crack in the foam insulation of the space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank early today." There is a failure to lead when one pushes an initiative that is already dead. In its continued efforts to show us all that it can fly the shuttle... Read more →

Independence Day Reflection

"America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own." - John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) Read more →