Do You Really Need Charisma to Lead?
Not everyone has the charismatic superhero personality that captivates a room, and attracts followers like metal filings to a magnet. For the many of us who may be a little short on vitamin C (charisma), are we doomed to permanent follower-ship while the outgoing back-slappers take over the world? I’d say don’t give up hope. […]
After Action Review: Is There an Elephant in the Room?
After every major event, good organizations and teams take a moment and very deliberately review what happened in an After Action Review. In this way, they can keep getting better. It’s a great process, but there’s an elephant in the room that can keep it from working. Today we’re going to talk about what that […]
Be a Finisher, Not Just a Starter
Why is it not enough to be a self-starter? Getting started on something is great. There are lots of great inspirational quotes you can read about starting:
The Humble Leader Paradox
How does a humble leader lead without becoming a door mat? I believe the Servant-Leader mindset is the best sustainable approach to leadership. But if you are not careful, it is easy to fall into the idea that to lead, you are supposed to be running around doing everything you can to make everybody happy. […]
How to Train the New Guy
Being the leader is a challenge, but it can be even more challenging when you have new people join the team who don’t yet know how to contribute. In the next two minutes I’m going to show you a way to pull the new guys on to the team and quickly turn them into productive […]
They Do This in Church, Too? 9 Ways Getting Constructive Feedback is a Game-Changer
Having lived in 19 places in my life (so far), I’ve been in my share of churches, but the one we go to now has always struck me as being a little more organized and better run than most. Recently I discovered one of the reasons why. We could all stand to take a page […]
Book Notes: Start With Why
How is it that that Toyota and Honda were able to expand into the luxury car market successfully, but Volkswagen was not? Why is Apple able to remain so innovative in so many different areas of the market for so long? We can answer these questions and many like them with a one-word question of […]
5 Ways to Build Credibility
Leadership is challenging enough when you know what you are doing. But when your teammates happen to have more knowledge or experience than you do, it can get a little tricky, especially in the early days. It’s OK, though – it turns out that there are lots of ways to address this situation quickly and […]
9 Leadership Lessons I Learned from my Dance Instructor
I guess you can learn about leadership just about anywhere if you happen to be looking for it. Last Thursday evening, I wasn’t even looking and it hit me square in the face. My wife and I had signed up for dance lessons (think basic ballroom stuff – definitely not Dancing with the Stars!). But as […]
Accountability Hacks – 12 Ways to Check the Troops, and Why You Should
Having a goal, a plan, and asking teammates to do things is only the start for you as a leader. Making sure everyone does his job to make the plan happen is a critical part of leading the team to success. One word for this idea is Accountability. Leaders who check and make sure things […]
Know This One Thing Before You Try to Lead – 2 Minute Tip
Leading a team includes accomplishing the mission while also taking care of people. If your people’s needs aren’t being met, chances are that the mission is going to suffer. Here’s a simple framework you can keep in mind when working with your people to ensure you are meeting their needs.
How to Take Control – Two Minute Tip
What you do with your body affects how you think with your head. Here is a simple way you can use this fact as a leader to get people’s attention and take control of a group.