“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”
– John Wooden
Leadership can be like learning to ride a bike: at some point you have to climb on and give it a shot. A few falls are inevitable, but there are skills and techniques that will make the process less painful. On this page, look for tips, tricks, and ideas about improving your leadership skills so that you do less falling, and more flying.
We know that leaders go first, that’s part of the definition of being a leader. But there’s a surprising impact that going first can have on those who follow that is more powerful than we may have thought.
Whether we get to choose who will be on our team, or we have to work with the people we have right now, building a team for the long-haul is not something we can do overnight. Here’s a new favorite quote about that, and five things to look for when …
Building a Team: What to Look for When Assembling Your Squad Read More »
How can we get our teammates to sit up and take notice? By slowing down time. Odd as it may seem, we can actually do this, and unlocking this power can be an effective leadership tool. It involves a simple concept called the oddball effect. Here’s what it is and …
Getting Their Attention: How to Bend time With The Oddball Effect Read More »
“Are we making progress, or just making noise?” Mark Twain has said a lot of funny and interesting things, but do you know what he said about chickens and eggs? Or how his comment applies to good leadership? Stick around and I’ll tell you in this edition of “Lines for …
Making Noise: 3 Tips for Better Leading in a Noisy World Read More »
“Are we carrying around things that make us poor leaders?” It’s easy to collect things, harder to let them go. But as leaders we have to be aware that some of those things, one in particular, can get in our way and prevent us from leading as effectively as we’d …
Overloaded: The Thing That Keeps Us From Leading Well Read More »
Is having no limits really a good thing? We often find ourselves wishing that the limitations in our lives were gone. We yearn for a mythical time when we can do whatever we want however we want for as long as we want. Two things about this though: 1) It’s …
Setting Limits: 15 Ways to Do More By Giving Ourselves Less Read More »
“What do we have to do to make sure our message gets through?” When it comes to leadership acoustics, there are three key things to be aware of if we want others to hear what we are trying to say. Last week I visited the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheater near …
Leadership Acoustics – 3 Ways to Send a Message That Gets Heard Read More »
Are there any leadership exercises I can do? Someone asked this question recently, and I thought it was a good one. Learning leadership is tricky business. It’s not like practicing musical scales or pumping iron at the gym. But I do think there are exercises we can do to become …
Leadership Exercises: 7 Ways to Build Your Influencing Muscles Read More »
“How can seeking discomfort be a good thing for leaders?” Hey, I’m here at a local park in Minnesota, getting ready to do my weekly tempo run. Believe it or not, I think that there is a very close parallel between learning to run fast and becoming a better leader, …
Comfortably Uncomfortable: 7 Ways Seeking Discomfort Makes You Better Read More »
Are you a potential leader who’s just looking for an opportunity? Do you think you have what it takes, and just need others to notice your leadership ability? If so, this video is for you. Today we’ll talk about seven things you can start doing today that will get you …
Are You a Potential Leader? 7 Ways to Get Noticed Read More »
“How do you build influence if you are the low person on the totem pole?” We all have to start somewhere, and usually that somewhere is at the bottom of the heap. So how is it that some people seem to climb higher faster than others? It really comes down …
How to Build Influence: Go From Gofer to Go-To with These 3 Simple Steps Read More »
“In any leadership interview, they are going to ask about your experience. What if you don’t have any?” Everyone has to start somewhere. Moving up in the organizational hierarchy often involves taking on a formal leadership role. But if you haven’t had one before, how you respond when they ask …
Leadership Interview: 7 Ways to Talk About Leadership Experience When You Don’t Have Any Read More »
