Are You About to Lose One of Your Best Employees?

Posted by:

I’m angry at Janie’s boss.

I don’t know Janie’s boss. I’ve never met Janie’s boss. But I do know Janie. Janie is one of the most diligent, hard-working, eager-to-learn people I’ve ever met. But because Janie’s boss doesn’t understand one of the basic rules of leadership, Janie is being made to feel like a failure in her job, and is thinking about leaving. So what’s the rule that Janie’s boss doesn’t understand? It’s this:

It’s a leader’s job to create an environment ...

Continue Reading →
0

Great Teams Focus on the Mission, Not the Squabbles

Posted by:

This weekend I was lucky enough to have VIP seats to see a performance by the U.S. Navy’s precision flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels. They are, by any standard, an incredible team. They fly 18 inches apart at 400 miles per hour, while simultaneously doing coordinated turns and maneuvers — all of this in a plane that costs $56 million. And if you don’t think that’s a big deal, think about how mad you were when you got that ...

Continue Reading →
0

3 Ways to Practice Intentional Creativity

Posted by:

According to Fast Company, creativity is now the most important leadership quality for success in business. Why is it, then, that so few leaders do little (or nothing) to make creative thinking a conscious part of their personal development?

In short, why do so few leaders practice intentional creativity?

connect-20333_1920When I was producing my multiple Emmy® Award ...

Continue Reading →
0

Will They Be Sorry To See You Leave?

Posted by:

“Some people brighten a room when they enter it; others when they leave.”

You’ve probably heard this quotation or some variation of it. I have no idea who said it originally, but it certainly is true. I’m sure you know people on both sides of the semicolon. Today I’d like you to consider a slight variation, this one mine:

“Some leaders brighten a workplace when they enter it; others when they leave.”

The question, of course, is: which ...

Continue Reading →
0

Why Your Workplace Needs to Be a Classroom

Posted by:

I’ve written quite a bit about how and why leaders need to be continuous learners. I believe that, as a leader, if you’re not continuously — and intentionally — learning, then you’re not really a leader.

I mean, c’mon — would a real leader ever think, “Well, that’s it. I’ve learned everything I need to. My brain is full, so I’m done.” Outside of Congress, that is.

But let’s leave aside for a moment the question of whether ...

Continue Reading →
0

What Are You Reading?

Posted by:

Quick quiz: What do all of the following people have in common?

  • Bill Gates
  • Warren Buffett
  • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Elon Musk
  • Mark Cuban
  • Oprah Winfrey

Here are some possible answers:

  • They’re all financially set for life, as long as they die before their 25,732nd birthday (although Bill Gates could probably make it another 250,000 years if he budgeted).
  • They’re all wicked smart.
  • They all like coffee ice cream. [Full disclosure: I don’t know if this last one is correct. And anyway, I said these were possible answers, not necessarily accurate]

But here’s ...

Continue Reading →
3

The Question You Need to Start Your Day With

Posted by:

Does this scene sound familiar?

It’s the end of the day, and you’re sitting at your desk. As you shuffle some papers around for the hundredth time, you think to yourself, “Well, I got pretty much nothing done today. Eight hours of wasted time that I’ll never get back.”

You’ve had days like this, right? I know I have. And honestly, they feel pretty crappy. Or rather, I feel pretty crappy when I have a day like that. But mostly I feel ...

Continue Reading →
0

Learning Leadership from a Bad Boss

Posted by:

Most of us have experienced bad bosses at some time in our lives. Maybe you’ve had one in the past; maybe you have one now. Maybe you were one in the past; maybe you are one now. So, for most of us, the question isn’t if we’ll run into one of these disagreeable creatures, but when.

But there’s a better question regarding bad bosses, and it’s this:

What can you learn from them?

white, pencil, background, lead, isolated, ...</p data-lazy-src=

0

How Simple Is Your Vision? Great! Now Make It Simpler!

Posted by:

The leader is frustrated. “I don’t know why I’m having such trouble getting the team to buy-in to the company vision! It couldn’t be simpler!”

Then he shows me the company vision. It’s five paragraphs long. It contains sentences like, “To enhance the long-term value of the investment dollars entrusted to us by our shareholders,” and “To consistently strive to improve efficiency and productivity through learning, sharing, and implementing best practices.” It reeks of having been written by a committee—a committee ...

Continue Reading →
0

5 Ways to Get a Creative Idea

Posted by:

Are you stuck in a creative rut? Do you need an idea—now—but nothing’s coming? Don’t worry, your creativity is still there. Your brain is just taking a little “creativity catnap.” Here are a few ways to wake it up again and get those creative juices flowing.

boss-fight-free-high-quality-stock-images-photos-photography-signs-ideas-pen-960x640
1. Read an article. [You: “About what?” Me: “About anything!” You: “Huh?” Me: ...

Continue Reading →
0
Page 14 of 23 «...101213141516...»
>