Recovering Leader

Monday’s LeaderTip: Perception Management

Many leaders spend time trying to manage what others think of them. Unfortunately, it does little more than interfere with your ability to make decisions for the greatest good. While perception-management may be a comfortably familiar habit, chances are the cost is far greater than the benefit. If you frequently think about how others may see you, consider the notion:... Read more →

Wanted: Self-Aware Leader in the Whitehouse

Don't know about you, but I want a self-aware leader to be the next President of the United States. By which I mean six things: 1. They are responsible for how their own beliefs drive their behavior, decisions, and results as a leader. 2. They listen, learn and apply the lessons from their mistakes. They have a deep curiosity and... Read more →

Self-aware Leadership Watch: Jill Bolte Taylor Talk at TED

Below is a link to a TED 18-minute talk by Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain anatomist, who herself had (and recovered from) a stroke. It’s incredibly interesting and insightful! FYI about TED: Click here for the talk by Dr. Taylor “TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Being in Shape to Innovate

Innovation—in your own life, or as a leader of others—requires purpose, curiosity, exploration, and receptiveness to discovery. Many leaders have rejected tremendous opportunities because they lacked (or shied away from) one or more of these factors. Such resistance is understandable—after all, transformative change upsets our sense of normalcy. Yet this need not be you. How present are these four key... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Balancing Task and Relationship

Heavily task-focused leaders don’t tend to be very good at relationships. Yet those with too strong a relating-bias have a tough time getting things done. Neither inclination makes a better leader. In fact, balancing efforts equally between tasks and relationships has been shown to be more effective than a skew toward one or the other. Locate your bias within these... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: New Possibilities During Tough Times

During challenging times it’s particularly tough to imagine new possibilities and creative solutions. In fact, stressful conditions, economic issues, conflict, and uncertainty tend to make many people hunker and bunker. At such times, it’s critical for a leader to ask questions that encourage and help redefine / restore a vision of a better future. “What would this issue look like... Read more →

Self-aware Leadership Watch: Creative Leadership--Democrats Need to Fight More Like Republicans

Look at yourselves! Wake Up! Stop the nastiness!!! . . . is what I'd say if I had the ear of the Democratic presidential candidates. While the Republicans know how to fight with each other, and then fall into step like pack animals (reference the Bush-supports-McCain-on-the-White House steps photo op two days ago), the Democrats are more like cannibals; they... Read more →

Op-Ed Piece on "Being on Purpose at Work" Published Today

Many thanks again to Josh Burek and the team at the CS Monitor (Online and Print) for publishing my piece, originally titled "Make the world a better place: Responsibility of Leadership" today, albeit with a new title ("Being on Purpose at Work.") Also thanks to them for the plug for my book, and the audio interview! David Peck Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Fostering Autonomy

Leaders who treat people as independent thinkers, regardless of level or role, are well-rewarded for their efforts. Many confuse leading with the more authoritarian aspects of parenting—they push, prod, punish and praise in order to get things done. When you operate this way, your people become dependent, needing excessive supervision, handholding, and validation. Resist the temptation to tell your people... Read more →