“Leaders don’t create followers. They create more leaders.”
– Tom Peters
To lead effectively, it helps to have a solid grasp of some fundamental leadership concepts. Whether it’s establishing core values, understanding fundamental leadership concepts, or learning how best to go about the business of getting things done through people, you should find it here.
A strange encounter between a French king and several cannibals from South America sheds light on cultural bias, and what it takes for leaders to see past the limits of our own experience.
“What’s the maximum effective range of a good deed?” It was 4:30 in the morning. Two weary fire fighters walked into a local diner in New Jersey. Smelling of smoke and tired from battling a warehouse fire all night, they were hungry and needed a rest. The friendly waitress brought …
21 Acts of Kindness to Make the World a Better Place Read More »
Are you indispensable? Should you be? We make the plans, give the orders, follow-up on everybody and everything. Nothing happens without our say-so. The machine is humming and we are at the controls. It feels like leadership. But is it?
“When it comes to Bad vs. Good, why do bad things get all the attention?” There’s a struggle between good and bad and it’s happening on our teams. The bad news? The “bad” is far more powerful than the “good.” The good news? As leaders, we can use the power …
Bad vs. Good: Why Does the Bad Seem to Outweigh the Good? Read More »
Why should we care about the difference between manager and leader? I was having coffee with a new friend last week. He had been recently promoted to his first supervisory position. As we talked about the challenges he would face, we found ourselves discussing the differences between a manager and …
What’s the Difference Between Manager and Leader, and Why Does It Matter? Read More »
Not long ago, my son called me from Oregon. He was driving some friends to the airport when his car suddenly quit and wouldn’t restart. Beyond attempting to diagnose the problem over the phone, there was little I could do to help from where I was in Minnesota. The good …
The Leader’s Triple-A Club: How to Navigate the Hazardous Highways of Leadership Read More »
Kennedy said that “leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,” so how do we make sure we keep learning? It’s easy to get caught up in the daily business of getting things done. But if we’re not careful, though we may accomplish much, we don’t become better in the …
The Leader Apprentice: 5 Ways to Master the Learning Mindset Read More »
Is it better to be feared or loved as a leader? It’s an age-old question that seems to keep cropping up. Authoritative writers talk about how leaders need to be open, transparent, empathetic, and willing to listen. Yet like the Humble Leader Paradox, if that’s the way you act, great, …
The Role of Fear in Leadership: Is it Better to be Feared or Loved as a Leader? Read More »
When the call of leadership comes, what will you do? Often what makes leaders stand out are not the great deeds but the small acts. Many of these actions may even go unnoticed by most. But cumulatively they demonstrate where the leader’s heart lies, and they build the kind of …
What is visionary leadership? In 1921, an explorer and naturalist named William Beebe was trekking through the jungle in Guyana. He came across a large colony of ants marching along a path that they had made. Curious, he followed the little ant highway to see where they were going. After …
One of the greatest challenges for leaders is focusing on the invisible part of what we do. Even as we go about the business of getting things done every day, we are also doing something else. For better or worse, we are forming and shaping the people on our teams …
Of plants, tomatoes seemed the most human… – John Updike If what John Updike says of tomatoes is true, my neighbor is reminding me of an important lesson about working with people.