Recovering Leader

Three Must-do Practices for Leading Change

Beyond a great vision, strategy, roadmap, and a capable organization, the leader's or team's ability to build broadbased and sustainable support is the key to leading transformative change. Here are three great ways to do that. Read more →

How Relatable Are You as a Leader? Upgrade Your Interface!

The more aware you are of how your way of interacting impacts others, the more you can lead them in a positive, inspiring, sustainable way. It’s that simple. The reverse is also true. Read more →

12 Great Job interview Questions

Hiring well means doing interviews that result in insights about each candidate. That begins with good questions that increase the likelihood you'll get some type of x-ray of the person – showing more of them than they are likely to want you to see. Here are 12 of my favorites for your consideration. Read more →

How to Battle the Bulge in Leadership Communication

If you can say something in three sentences or less, then do it. Of course details and nuance are critical to success, but so is knowing when to keep it simple. That's where good things come in threes. While some would impose a blind-logic “rule of three” to emails and other executive communication, I think it’s best to consider these specific situations where threes that are particularly useful. Read more →

Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew the Day I Became a Leader

When we get promoted to positions of leadership, we don't get a manual. Here are the things I wish I had known on day one of my leadership journey. Read more →

Helping the Reassurance Junkie

Someone who needs a disproportionate amount of reassurance can be a burden rather than a blessing -- when you take the lead on alleviating this burden, it's best for you, the needy employee, and your organization. Read more →

Perfectly Positioned: 5 Habits of Great Rainmakers

Great business developers, also known as "Rainmakers" have identifiable habits in common. What are they? Let's take a look ... Read more →

Get Your Gravitas On: 6 Secrets of Executive Presence

For most people promoted to senior positions, having a strong, influential voice at the big table is not standard equipment -- it takes work. Here you will find some practical steps you can take. 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 →

Over-thinking Challenging Situations

The outcome you achieve after facing a challenging situation—for better or worse—is limited by your assumptions or “story” going into it. In fact, walking into almost any potentially difficult conversation, our understanding is at best incomplete, no matter how much forethought we’ve given it. It’s human nature to prepare for what may be difficult, particularly if we are under normal... Read more →

Listening to Your Struggle’s Message

In Western culture we tend to think anything worthwhile should be difficult. Along those lines, it’s easy to miss when a struggle is trying to tell you that it’s time for a change. Fixated on our goal, we soldier on, trying ever harder. Then, exhausted, we see in hindsight that the signs were reading, “I need a change” all along.... Read more →

Approachability's Pragmatic Leadership Advantages

Being seen as “warm and fuzzy” is not needed to lead effectively. Yet leaders with higher levels of approachability achieve better outcomes than their pricklier colleagues, because they receive more information. No matter how well-intentioned they may be, execs that are introverted, intimidating, harsh, or dismissive—or just short on relational graces—make those around them hesitant to come forward. That shuts... Read more →

Revaluing Your Pack Mates

We humans are basically pack animals. We surround ourselves with many of the same faces day in and day out. Over time, that familiarity tends to limit our clarity and curiosity about our “pack mates.” We inadvertently discount their ideas and contributions, often in small ways that can really add up. It’s as much a problem for leaders as it... Read more →

Best iPad App for Meetings? The Off Switch

I love my iPad. That’s not in dispute. In the loo, resting on the couch, airplanes, trains—it’s manna from Apple. However, if I were compelled to stock-watch, email, game, surf, or otherwise entertain myself when someone else was presenting or leading a meeting, I would leave, or not attend in the first place. I’m not coaching here. I’m asking you:... Read more →

Great Leaders Ask Better Questions

You're paying your people too much to think for them. Guide them to do their own best thinking, and their contributions multiply exponentially. Directive behavior does the opposite ... it shuts people your up, and shuts them down. "Why doesn't she do what I tell her to do?! " This CEO mentioned he was having trouble getting one of his... Read more →

6 Ways to Know if You're a Change Maker or Change Breaker

The leader’s innovation challenge is how to make major changes produce pragmatic results. So much is written about "innovation" that I think misses the mark on actually innovating. There are way more “great ideas” than can be done, but not enough leaders capable or willing enough to do them. Leaders and their organizations are used to being and doing things... Read more →

Job Seekers: Four Tips from the Hiring Front

I’ve been in the process of hiring an assistant (and down to the final handful from a high number,) and noticing a few things that may seem remedial, but are really standing out for me: Competition: Yes it’s true – there are many good and qualified people out there. Yet you can stand out from others with some effort, so... Read more →

"I Know" is Ego, Not Leadership

Saying "I know" doesn't reflect understanding or knowledge—it says "My ego has an issue with what I know or don’t know." I can’t think of a good reason for a leader EVER to say it. Even at its best, it’s not smart and/or cool-nerdy and/or charming. It’s distancing, distracting, and ultimately shuts down the other(s) in conversation with you, none... Read more →

The Excessively Critical Leader

What's one to do? Everyone has a story of a nightmare boss. Why? Because overly critical people are in positions of authority with surprising frequency, and tend to be, well, memorable. They can be hurtful, insulting, angry, disapproving, intolerant, abusive—or any combination thereof. People who work around them are often stressed out or shut down, operating in coping mode—avoiding touchy... 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 →

Letting Go of Lonely Leadership

“It’s lonely at the top” is not the way of leadership. If that’s the case for you, the quality of your leadership, your life at work, and your P&L, would likely be enhanced with some work on changing how you relate to others. I’ve seen this play out in my executive coaching work with clients. Their successes add up to... 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 →

Are You a Manager or a Leader: Complete Analysis of Survey Results (Final)

In June, 2009 we started taking a sharp look at the distinctions between manager and leader. I developed a 20-question online survey (“Are you more of a manager or leader?”) that's so far received 139 responses. Given the volume of info, I broke my analysis into several blog posts that cover all 20 questions. Previous posts had analyzed the results... Read more →

What is Self-aware Leadership, and Why Should You Care?

It leads to sustainable effectiveness . . . Today's tumultuous conditions require leaders to master speed, turbulence, and complexity, upgrading from traditional leadership competencies to new and more flexible strategies for leading organizations. Building greater self-awareness must be a high priority. Self-awareness is not a common theme in leadership literature, and the practices that lead to it aren’t easy to... Read more →

Leadership: Being in a Beginner's Mind

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few" —S. Suzuki (Japanese Zen priest, ?-1971) Certainty and effective leadership do not tend to work well together. One executive's predecessor left him with a piece of parting advice: "Just never show them you’re not sure." Under this predecessor’s watch, the organization not only stagnated,... Read more →

New Role? 10 Things You Need to Know About Your New Boss

So, you've gotten that great leadership job, or promotion, or move into a new role you've been seeking. Congratulations! You’ve heard various things about your new leader—or maybe not, and/or maybe you have a theory or two about them. But what do you REALLY need to know? Starting off day one asking your new boss a barrage of questions may... Read more →