Recovering Leader

Monday’s LeaderTip: Responsibility to Rest

Time off is not a luxury, it's a responsibility of leadership. As the weeks click by, it's easy to catch ourselves thinking that a vacation would be an indulgence-that our work is too important to leave. But without taking time to recharge, a leader can lose perspective, and begin to miss critical, often obvious, opportunities. If it's hard to remember... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Choosing Your Best Fit

We do our best work in roles and settings that fit like a favorite set of clothes. Finding this fit, however, is exceptional, particularly early in a career, when we are likely to make choices that reflect the expectations and influence of others. And as the years tick by, without realizing it, we often settle for less than the best... Read more →

Friday Leadership Insight: Are You Time Urgent?

“Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday” (Author Unknown) Many of us are unwittingly ruled by our own subjective, flawed sense of time, and leaders are no exception. While a life-and-death crisis is often all about seconds ticking away, research and experience shows that a time-urgent approach to how you live each day is a brain-driven thing. It's not... Read more →

Leadership the American Way in Volatile Economic Times: What is Needed?

If yesterday's glum and glummer economic outlook from the Federal Reserve, slight drop in the price per barrel of oil, and recent huge daily swings in the stock market remind us of anything, it's that volatile times are the new "normal." At the same time, the Presidential campaigns are once again sounding like more of the same old same old.... Read more →

Great Leadership Story Podcast: Former President of Bank One Retail Delivery Group, Tells a Behind-The-Scenes Story of Great Leadership during Bank Mega-Merger

I am delighted to announce, along with my collaborator, Drew Suss of Catapult Leadership Communications, this first in a series of "Great Leadership Stories," our brand new invitation-only series of podcast interviews with distinguished business leaders. We've asked the participating executives to choose the single most impactful leadership story of their career, with the intention passing on their own lessons-learned... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Do Your People Care?

Recently, in response to one of his direct-reports giving notice, a CEO said, "I'd hate to lose you—you're one of the few people around here who actually cares." A highly dedicated person is rare, and truly worth their weight in gold. Without a deliberate effort to find and retain such people, they will always be the exception within your organization.... Read more →

Want to be an Expert? Then be a beginner . . .

I'm a proud, perpetual beginner--that is, a student constantly striving to learn from and about myself, others, and life. So I'm always wary of those who present themselves as a "experts," as I think that belief ("I am an expert on this.") locks the door to growth and enlightenment. I think, then, that perhaps being the most enlightened, self-aware, self-actualized... Read more →

What is Leadership?

Leadership means inspiring and guiding others to know, change, or create something of value and significance. -David Peck (For a larger definition, see this post) Read more →

Friday Leadership Insight: Do Your People Care?

Recently a CEO told one of his direct-reports: “I’d hate to lose you—you’re one of those rare people around here who really cares.” Is finding people who truly give a damn simply about luck, or can we select for it? It’s the latter. With practice and insight, leaders can operate in such a way that caring people are the majority,... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Words versus Consequences

Applying tangible consequences can be challenging even for experienced leaders. Yet once a clear expectation has been set within your organization, it’s necessary to follow through consistently. Mixed signals can foster doubt about your leadership, and enable your people to sidestep individual accountability—inadvertently lowering the bar throughout your enterprise. If implementing consequences is more talk than an actual practice for... Read more →