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Five ways to set your employees up to fail
We unfortunately set people up to fail all the time. We may have the best intentions, and we may think we’re setting our reports up to succeed, but we may be making things more difficult for them. We may not be giving them the resources and support they need, or we...
Walk in their moccasins
“Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins.” ~Sioux Indian Prayer “I would never do it that way,” we think when we see someone on our staff take a wrong stab at a problem. “What are they thinking?” we wonder, as we watch them...
The counterintuitive way to be more productive (and maybe less stressed)
You’re facing a deadline or feeling pressure to get a project done. You feel as if you’ve been staring at your computer screen mindlessly, unable to make a dent in the work in front of you. You’ve been at this for hours, but don’t seem to be moving ahead. As the time...
You don’t have to know it all
“Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn more than they teach.” ~Rosabeth Moss Kantor Somehow, we think that, as leaders, we need to know everything and then bestow this wisdom on those around us. We are afraid to show our foibles and concerned that...
Our brains are built for bias and how to overcome it
A few years ago, I was observing a meeting that one of my clients was having with his direct report. I listened to their conversation, heard the direct report share a seemingly simple story of the way he had handled an issue, and watched my client react with anger…to...
Letting go of what you are…to be what you might become
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~Lao Tzu We can limit ourselves by the stories we tell ourselves. If we’ve defined ourselves as quiet and thoughtful, we may rarely speak up in a meeting. If we’ve defined ourselves as brash, we might never make...
A quick, simple brain exercise to get your day (and leadership) off to a strong start
Velcro for the bad and Teflon for the good. That is the way our brains have evolved over time, to protect us from the lion hiding behind the tree or the meteorite that might hit our planet. The problem is, there generally isn’t a lion hiding behind the tree, and if a...
The hardest work of leadership
"Contrary to the opinion of many, leaders are not born. Leaders are made, and they are made by effort and hard work." ~Vince Lombardi "She's a born leader," people say. According to Vince Lombardi, leaders are not born; they are made. I have to agree. I have to agree...
Vulnerability is not a dirty word, it’s a leadership skill
Somehow, I think we’ve all created – and perpetuated – the myth that leaders need to be strong and infallible. That there can be no cracks in your armor or skeletons in your closet. That it’s best to look like you always have it together and aren’t ever questioning or...
The most important thing you can do to be more successful
"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." ~Maya Angelou The more clients I work with and the more people I know, the more I believe we are suffering from an epidemic of not liking ourselves. I have clients who are uncomfortable with...
The five key lessons we all need to learn
People often ask me to describe a “typical” coaching client. I’ve never been able to do that. My clients vary, and their issues and objectives vary. They may be working on leading remote teams more effectively or executive presence or stepping into a bigger/more...
Why we’re afraid to share ideas, and how we can encourage sharing anyway
"Many great ideas have been lost because the people who had them could not stand being laughed at." ~Unknown I think public humiliation – or even the possibility of public humiliation – is something many, if not all of us, avoid at all costs. We can be quite terrified...
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