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The Thoughtful Leaders BlogInvite Disagreement
“We find comfort among those who agree with us – growth among those who don’t.” Frank A. Clark
Life seems a lot simpler when everyone agrees, right? Things move a lot faster, decisions get made a lot quicker, and everyone’s happy. When others agree with our opinions, love our ideas, and see the world as we do, it’s validating and it feels good. Related Posts:2 Responses to “Invite Disagreement”Leave a ReplySelling a big idea? Take a page from the IT guysI recently met with someone (let’s call him Aaron) who has a huge new business idea. Aaron’s trying to get support for his idea from both inside his company from senior management and peers, and outside the company from an interested customer. It is a huge undertaking and, at times, very frustrating – as he meets with people, fine-tunes his presentation, tweaks the idea, and identifies others to meet with. However, his strategy is working and he is making great progress. In fact, this week he won over the founding executive of his company. Related Posts:Leave a ReplyFeedback can be a giftIn the current economic environment, it is crucial for individuals, teams and organizations to continuously improve their performance. Getting and giving useful performance feedback, whether through a formal performance appraisal system, or through less formal, more ad-hoc tools like Rypple, can help greatly. Regardless of whether you are providing feedback in a formal annual review, a brief Rypple survey, or at the water cooler, here are some tips to keep in mind when providing feedback: Related Posts:Leave a ReplyTake time to play
“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.” John Cleese
I used to have many more toys on my desk. Working in entertainment advertising, it was “right” to have toys on your desk. Somehow however, along the line, I have gotten more serious in my work and now take much less time out to play. Which is funny, since I often coach clients into allowing their more playful side to come out. But I don’t have a single toy at hand to pick up and play with. Related Posts:Leave a ReplyWe think we’re free to chooseI just came upon this speech by Sheena Iyengar. She was speaking at a TED conference on the art of choosing. It’s twenty-four minutes, and it’s twenty-four minutes worth watching. Related Posts:Leave a ReplyStop and smell the roses
“Getting there isn’t half the fun – it’s all the fun.” Robert Townsend
Just the other day a client shared with me that she had roses, roses she loved, growing outside her house on the veranda…and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually seen them, or noticed them. Related Posts:One Response to “Stop and smell the roses”
Leave a ReplyLeadership starts with youThose of you who know us at Chatsworth Consulting Group know that we believe in Thoughtful Leadership – looking inside yourself, taking the time to reflect, and taking action with thought and clarity. I recently came across a great piece on the subject of looking inside yourself and knowing yourself – and wanted to share. This blogpost at thoughtLEADERS llc outlines four areas for every leader to reflect on and know for themselves – finding your internal motivation, charting your path, stating how you’ll move down your path, and most important from my perspective, inspiring yourself. They recommend creating a living, evolving document that describes your leadership philosophy and the maxims and principles by which you will lead. Good stuff! Related Posts:Leave a ReplyFollow your bliss
“If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn’t have opened for anyone else.” Joseph Campbell
Recently a client was discussing her upcoming choice between two new jobs. The discussion seemed like a cost-benefit analysis – all head and very little heart. “I should do this,” she said. “This makes the most sense. I really love that idea, but it’s probably not smart.” Now while the more “sensible” option may be the right one for her to pursue, it struck me how quickly we follow what seems “right” rather than what seems wonderful. Related Posts:One Response to “Follow your bliss”
Leave a ReplyAre we running out of leaders???Had to share this…. A recent Wall Street Journal article “Leadership Training Gains Urgency Amid Stronger Economy” talks about the urgency many companies are feeling around leadership development and training. Seems that the cutbacks during the last few years are coming back to haunt us, and many organizations are finding they don’t have leaders and managers with requisite skills and knowledge to take on new projects or to step in as others move on. Related Posts:Leave a ReplyWhat child-rearing teaches us about managing“Failure is an event, never a person.” William Brown Why is it that managing is, I hate to say, in some ways so similar to raising children, or training a pet. I mean no offense by this comment. I firmly believe that if we could see things in this way it might help us be even more effective at getting the best out of the people who work for us. Related Posts:Leave a Reply |
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Dwight McLeod 
View Robyn McLeod's profile
You only generate a spark when you rub two stones in an opposite direction.
Thanks for your thoughts John. I totally agree. The rubbing may seem painful or annoying, but the spark can generate real power and action.