Do you have a manager who won’t advocate for you or your team? Is she afraid to say no to requests from above? Here are three ways to get what you need from even the most conflict-avoidant boss. • Focus on problem solving. If you need to talk about a difficult issue with your boss,… Read More
Is there a road map for reaching your unique potential? This book review I came across on HBR, really asks some fascinating questions about the journey we all take. How do you create your own definition of success–and reach your unique potential? Building a fulfilling life and career can be a daunting challenge. It takes… Read More
Harvard Business Review features a case study about Sir Alex Ferguson, the recently retired manager and coach at Manchester United football club. Sir Alex was coach and manager for 26 seasons and led Manchester United to be one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world. In the HBR case study by Anita Elberse,… Read More
Authenticity — what is it, who has it, and how do you get it? Most people associate authenticity with being true to oneself — or “walking the talk.” But there’s a problem with that association; it focuses on how you feel about yourself. Authenticity is actually a relational behaviour, not a self-centred one. Meaning that… Read More
Two coping skills are key to resilience: problem-solving and mindfulness, and it is important to know which to use and when, said psychologist and former NHS consultant psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud. If a problem can be solved, then the most sensible thing is to work on solving it. If not, then now is the time… Read More
Just when you think you’ve got your team and situation figured out, things change – especially when you’re growing. Leading teams of less than 10 people is different than leading teams of 10-30, and then leading teams of more than 30 presents additional challenges and opportunities. As your team grows, focus on a different component… Read More
A simple approach can help replace your slow deliberations with fast decisions. Try this framework: Know your ultimate objective. The biggest hurdle to fast decisions is criteria overload. Of the seven or eight possible objectives you would love to meet, which one or two will make the biggest impact? Consider which stakeholder you least want… Read More
No matter how big or small your team or what its goal is, there are four things it needs to succeed. As a leader, it’s your job to help your group create and adhere to each of these: • A meaningful common purpose. Most teams are responding to a mandate. But to be successful,… Read More
GREAT INSIGHT MOVES YOUR CAREER, ORGANIZATION, OR BUSINESS FORWARD. THE PROBLEM? MOST PEOPLE ARE TERRIBLE AT ASKING QUESTIONS. LEARN FROM THE PROS HOW TO DO IT RIGHT. Ask yourself: If you could interview like Walter Cronkite, would you get more value from your meetings? Would your mentors become more valuable? Would your chance encounters with… Read More
Use your personal values to keep you motivated. 1. Creativity Today I will make something new and different and thereby change the world for the better. 2. Resourcefulness Today I will become strong by overcoming obstacles with persistence and flexibility. 3. Enthusiasm Today I will permit myself to become excited in anticipation of whatever might… Read More
These four simple rules will help ensure that your audience sits up and pays attention. It takes an audience about 15 seconds (at most) to decide whether your presentation is worth their attention. Fritter away those fifteen seconds and your audience will either mentally check out or pull out their phones to start texting. Here’s… Read More
After promising your boss you would complete an important assignment on time, you realize you’re behind and it’s going to be late. You unintentionally leave a colleague out of the loop on a joint project, causing him or her to feel frustrated and a bit betrayed. On the subway, you aren’t paying attention and accidentally… Read More
As making key decisions often fall to leaders (with potentially huge consequences), Leo McKeown ‘s article begins to explore how pattern recognition can form the basis for making successful choices. He believes there’s one thing that all leaders should be able to do well that certainly made me think twice. It’s not managing or even… Read More
“ I never have time to think!” How many times have you heard that old chestnut? Ebay’s CEO, John Donahoe’s post was a worthwhile read as he firmly believes that time spent away to refresh and refocus is really not time off. It’s just time better spent. There’s a lesson for us all here… I… Read More
Phil Jackson’s 10 Principles of Mindful Leadership I have to admit that I am not a basketball fan but was intrigued by the principles Phil Jackson (considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the US National Basketball Association), uses to achieve sporting success with his teams. They support the idea that a… Read More
We all know no one posts the best jobs. The really juicy positions usually get handed around like a treasured prize within social networks. Maybe you’ll see a notice on LinkedIn, or a posting on your alumni listserv — but probably not. The most exciting jobs have an infinite number of aspirants, so unless you’ve… Read More
According to famed developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, as we grow older, hunger for meaning animates us, making us more alive. His theory explains that each healthy human passes through eight stages of development from infancy to adulthood. The seventh stage of development typically takes places between the ages 40-64 and centres around generativity, a period… Read More
If you’re like most successful leaders, you were, in the early stages of your career, given plenty of guidance and support. You were closely monitored, coached, and mentored. But as you moved up the ladder, the sources of honest and useful feedback became fewer, and after a certain point, you were pretty much on your… Read More
(taken from an article by John Whitmore) We can’t avoid the challenge of change even if we want to. Global instability will be with us for a lifetime anyway, so what are our roles and our goals as coaches? In the immediate term there are fewer clients in the market for most of us, and… Read More
What skills should a great leader have? Stephen Fry’s Duke of Wellington was once posed the question in an episode of Blackadder. “The ability to shout. Shouting, shouting and yet more SHOUTING,” bellows the uncompromising military commander, to hilarious effect. We’ve all had bosses who seem to style themselves on military leaders, however treating the… Read More