Recovering Leader

Two Great Ways to Time-Shift Your Leadership

Leadership has a time-frame, and it’s navigating the present based on the future. The highest-achieving leaders spend the majority of their time focused on building and guiding toward the future, while keeping a close eye on any big barriers and drivers in the present that most impact the way forward. Read more →

7 Powerful Ways to Know When to be Hands-on or Hands-off

Executives need to have a good sense of when to zoom in, and when to zoom out, on a problem or situation. Here you will find steps to choose the right level of involvement. Read more →

Why a Leader's Emotional Impact Matters ... A Lot

“Why do I need to worry about my people’s feelings? Why don’t they automatically just FEEL like doing their best? They’re lucky they have a job! Am I there to coddle them?” These are bottom line beliefs and questions among my executive clients who tend to be more task / directive / deadline-driven. Some are thinking these things mainly when... Read more →

7 Ways Leaders Inadvertently Say, “I don’t trust you”

Far too many leaders and managers inadvertently do things every day that send the message they distrust even their best people. Sapping people’s trust is de-motivating, and de-motivated people simply don’t do their best work. I’m not suggesting your role is to motivate your people, but it’s critical NOT to de-motive them. Eliminating inadvertent behaviors that say, “I don’t trust... Read more →

5 Ways to Lead with Trust

There’s nothing worse than behavior from your boss that says s/he doesn’t trust you, particularly if you don't deserve it and they don't intend it. Failure to give you responsibility along with authority, not introducing you to a VIP, and micromanaging are all simple and avoidable ways a leader may be sending a motivation-killing signal on the trust front. To... Read more →

Five Steps to Superb Delegating

Delegation at its best sets up capable people to do their best work for you in their own way. Low-yield delegation is command and control. Here are five simple steps to delegation excellence, based on many executive coaching assignments where I worked with clients on developing their best in this area: 1. Engage the best person or team. Look with... Read more →

Not Quite Ready to Let Go and Delegate? 5 Steps for Controlling Leaders

It’s clear that a controlling personality and the willingness to delegate tend to work against each other. As a young COO, I wanted to do too much myself, and that marginalized my own value, and that of my people. I knew it, but at the time, didn’t know what to do about it. These days, in my work with executive... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: What’s Your Leading-to-Doing ratio?

Daily demands create a tidal pull toward “doing” versus leading—tasks and challenges tempt us to jump in and fix, suggest, organize, manage, etc., “in the interest of time.” Yet every minute you’re driving the day-to-day is one minute with your eyes off the road ahead. Over time, this pattern hinders your ability to guide your people toward the future vision... Read more →

Monday’s LeaderTip: Leading by Inquiry

Certainty and leadership do not coexist. Even when you have (or think you “should” have) the answer, it’s much more effective to challenge your people to solve their own problems. By asking questions, you are affirming and supporting the capabilities of your team. Answer their questions with your own questions, and don’t worry about displaying your uncertainty. You’ll find creative... Read more →

7 Leadership Strengths Are Weaknesses When Taken Too Far

Consider a few of the typical strengths a leader may have: maybe they're a good delegator, a great relationship-builder, results-oriented, decisive, etc. Interestingly, our strengths become weaknesses when we overuse or misapply them to the situation. That's why I often hear my clients' colleagues say, "It's his strength, but also weakness at times..." So it's important to know which of... Read more →

LeaderTip: Informed versus Involved

Understanding the details has never been more critical for effective leadership. Yet it’s important to walk the line between being informed and getting involved. In my coaching practice, I’ve seen many examples of executives confusing command of the details with commanding the troops as to what do to about them. That marginalizes their skills, even as it drains your time... 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 →

Leadership Delegation:Trust, Verify, Consequences

Just a few thoughts today on elements of delegation. 1. TRUST Give someone a task, project, or “to do” that fits them (role, responsibilities, capabilities) and you think they can and will do it well. Give them clarity: WHAT you want and WHAT success looks like, WHEN you want it done by, WHY you want it – how does it... Read more →

Unleash Your People’s Best: Stop Telling Them What to Do

During the course of our coaching work, one Chief Operating Officer client told me: “I need to tell them what to do and how to do it, or the ball will stop rolling.” Guess what? She’s exhausted, hasn’t taken a vacation in documentable history, and her people are frustrated. “Why doesn’t she just do my job for me? She’s practically... Read more →