Productive Leaders
Why do professional, smart, highly-motivated, ambitious people need accountability? Because we do. Our Paleolithic, survival-motivated, dinosaur brains tell us that life is short, so enjoy today. Don’t do anything difficult right now because you might need that energy to escape the dangerous wooly mammoth that is chasing you.
What can you do to lead your organization to new levels of success in 2016 and beyond?
You have a great group of people, and you want to do more. You want to develop your employees to their fullest potential, increase day-to-day effectiveness, and increase profit growth.
Leadership steps to take now for a more successful year.
I believe we need the Christmas season because we need to set aside time that is focused on hope and optimism. Watching the news, there sadness, mistrust, greed, and violence. This is both overwhelming and depressing. We need a time to remind us of the goodness in human nature and the potential for people to make a positive difference in the world.
Why do some people bounce back from difficult life events seemingly easier than other people? How do some people, such as firefighters, law enforcement, and the military (and I would include teachers, all teachers) manage tough situations better than others. Some people seem to press on and be more resilient than others. How? Is this ingrained or is it taught?
Building trust is difficult. Learning to trust the people you work with and the people on your team can be challenging. But breaking trust is can be a very quick process. In a coaching engagement, we worked with…
I walked up to the cashier, who was talking with her co-worker working the other checkout line at a retail store. “How are you?” I asked. She ignored me and continued talking to the other cashier while running my items…
I recently asked a group of executives who they were grooming to lead their company in 20 years. They gave me blank stares as answers. “We are worried about next quarter. We are not even worried about next year.” Exactly. And that is the problem. Many executives are so busy worrying about the short-term that they…
My first meeting with my new Navy boss, the commanding officer of the base, went pretty much as expected until he said, “Oh, and if any of your people or their family members go to the hospital and are admitted, you need to let my office know.” I was a little confused. This guy was really busy. His assistant was constantly trying to keep him on a schedule. He arrived at the office at…
“I don’t have time to spend with my employees,” the new vice president complained. “I am always running to a meeting or trying to catch up on phone calls or trying to make sure I am reading what I need to read or signing papers. My employees should know what they need to do.” This new executive was in the first 100 days on the job, and he was failing. Why? He was invisible to his people. He took over and they barely