Recovering Leader

LeaderTip: Leadership and Unity

Sustainable leadership requires making the common good your highest priority. “Common good” doesn’t mean consensus—in fact it’s often discovered through intense and candid debate. Develop your own methods of assessing what’s best for your people, organization, clients, and your community, and where those interests intersect. You can “succeed” without doing this, but over time you risk undermining what you intend... Read more →

LeaderTip: Humility’s Power

A deliberate practice of staying humble is a source of power for any leader. As achievements, expertise, and experience mount, it’s not uncommon for self-assurance to evolve into swagger. Yet a pattern of arrogance or pride, even in tiny doses, tends to turn people off—distancing you from others, and de-motivating even your high performers. Humility means putting your ego in... Read more →

Chemistry + Inflection Point = Great Coaching Outcomes

All engagements can be powerful, but significant, positive changes require coach and client to be well-matched (great chemistry), and client to be at an important inflection point in their development. Champion athletes receive frequent coaching. Similarly, the best executives and aspiring leaders -- the ones who you want to retain -- are curious and hungry for new ways to upgrade... Read more →

LeaderTip: Maximizing Your Human Capital

Leaders need to be adept at launching their people into effective, independent action. That requires selecting / retaining people who are capable, self-motivated, and engaged in the aims of the organization and its leadership. It also requires the one(s) in charge to enable them to do their best work by providing the leeway, resources, support, and coaching they need. Both... Read more →

When a Harsh Personality Preempts Leadership

Leadership is not—and should not be—a popularity contest. Yet a difficult personality will render ineffective even a highly talented executive. As a result, their potential contributions will go unexplored. Consider a leader with world-class talent in a specific area, yet whose lack of interest in relating well to other people is seen as arrogant and argumentative. We’ve all met one... Read more →

Monday LeaderTip: Daily Renewal

It's a great week to establish a handful of meaningful / high-value intentions for the year ahead. What fires you up? What needs to change for you to be happier, more peaceful, and at your best professionally? What bold steps can you take in 2010 for a greater good? What help do you need to do these things? Jot down... Read more →

10 Suggestions for Self-aware Leadership in 2010

1) Government leaders get back to the best, most ethical, positive spark of what drove them to want to lead in the first place. 2) Corporate leaders learn lessons from the current economic situation: for example, the business value of ethics, self-awareness, kindness, and the negative return on investment of greed and excess. They get back to "capitalism with care:"... Read more →