9 Things You are Doing that Really Infuriate the Boss
Wondering what it is you did to infuriate the boss? The boss just always seems to be mad at you. You’re trying to lead your team the best you can, but every time you turn around he’s in your face about something. You might be thinking, “What’s his problem?” But it might be something you are […]
Influencing the Decision: How to Transition from Doer to Decider
There are the people who have to do what they are told, and then there are the people who get to decide what people do. Doers and deciders. Which would you like to be? Even if by position you are supposed to be a doer, there’s a way that you can take on more and […]
Doing it Best but Doing it Wrong!
Have you bumped up to the next level recently? Taken on a leadership role? Congratulations! Just keep in mind that what got you there might not be what keeps you there. Today we’ll take a quick look at a common pitfall new leaders often succumb to, and some good questions to ask that will keep you headed in the […]
Book Notes: The Right Kind of Crazy
“How do you build a close-knit innovative team under high pressure?” Imagine being put in charge of leading a team to do something that man has never been done before. You have about ten people with widely differing backgrounds and personalities to work with. You have tight budgetary limitations, a rapidly shrinking timeline and high […]
Snake Bit! A Case Study in Making Haste Slowly
In the heat of a crisis, as leaders we tend to want to jump in and start making decisions. The situation calls for boldness, decisiveness; now is our chance to rise to the occasion. To fail to act immediately may be interpreted as weakness. But if we act hastily we risk making bad decisions and making things worse […]
Managing the Boss: How to Deliver Bad News
No one likes to deliver bad news to the boss. But how you present a problem to them will have a lot to do with how they react to it. It’s more than just “managing the boss” – it’s seeing things from their perspective. Here is a way you can break the news, help to […]
How to Respond to Crisis: Four Steps for Leaders
As a leader you will have to respond to crisis. The plan will get off track, a key person will not show up, the weather will change, key assumptions will be proven wrong. It’s inevitable. How you respond will determine whether you overcome the crisis, or become a victim of it. Today we’ll talk about four […]
Book Notes: The Slow Fix
In the 2011 Grand Prix Formula One race in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton’s car collided with another racer. There was damage to the rear wing end plate of his car. Under any other circumstances, his racing day would have been over. Changing tires during a pit stop is one thing, but repairing something more complicated like […]
The Abilene Paradox: When Agreement is Bad
Not sure where your team is heading? Wonder what will be waiting for you when you get there? Sounds like you might just be on the Bus to Abilene. Here’s how to recognize if you’re on that Bus and how to get it turned in the right direction.
How to Focus the Team and Know Where to Be
Two big keys to success in leading a team are to make sure everyone is on the same wavelength, and be in a position to control the action. In this two minute tip I’m going to show you a team trying to solve a problem, and talk about how what the leader is doing right […]
What to Do When They Know More Than You…
They say knowledge is power. But if that’s true, how can you be in charge when you don’t know as much as the others on your team? Lots of times you might find yourself put in charge of something you know very little about, or that your teammates know much more about than you do. […]
Avoid the BOGSAT and Make Your Meetings Productive
Have you ever been in a meeting when a tired topic comes up yet again, there’s discussion, then the topic changes, and you get that sinking feeling that at next week’s meeting the same thing will happen? It seems like you never get any closer to resolving the issue. If so, it is quite […]