The Role of Fear in Leadership: Is it Better to be Feared or Loved as a Leader?
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, but what’s to keep people […]
Creating Unexpected Wins: Leadership Lessons from “Team Short People”
[Guest Post*] Everyone loves an underdog story, but much of the time, we only perceive the underdogs as such because we are overlooking the strengths that really matter. In the story of David and Goliath, the fact is, much of David’s unexpected win boils down to the fact that his sling was more powerful […]
Disrupting the Routine: 7 Ways to Change for the Good
There are some who will tell you, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I don’t necessarily agree. “Functioning” doesn’t always mean “fully optimized,” and without change, we risk falling into a rut, losing perspective, and falling behind. To grow and stay competitive, you have to change. Here’s why it’s important to disrupt the routine […]
Book Notes: Bunker Hill – Right Vision, Wrong Goal
Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick was a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. If you like historical non-fiction that reads like a novel, this is a great one to add to your library. Aside from telling the fascinating story of the events leading up to the American Revolution, there was something near the end […]
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 […]
Leading Your Friends: 9 Ways to Lead Your Former Peers
Congratulations – you’ve just been promoted to Team Lead! What’s the bad news? It’s the same team you’ve been on. How are you going to lead your friends? One of the hardest things to do as a leader is to lead your peers. When you all come from the same starting point, what is the basis […]
10 Unusual Meetings to Make Your Team More Productive
We’ll never be free from the need to have meetings, but that doesn’t mean they have to be long, boring, and unproductive. Here are ten unusual meeting approaches you can use to get out of a rut, stimulate more creativity, and be more productive.
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 […]
11 Key Rehearsal Techniques to Keep Your Plan From Getting Torpedoed
In 1914, a German U-boat off the coast of England fired a torpedo that sunk the British passenger liner Lusitania. Even though there were plenty of life vests for every passenger and more than enough seats in the available life boats, most passengers did not survive the encounter. One key reason was that they did […]
How to Get Kicked Out of Leadership School: The Spotlight Leader
Do you have what it takes to get through the Army’s toughest leadership school? Those who attend the U.S. Army’s Ranger School prepare months in advance in the attempt to pass this grueling leadership course. Even so, the failure rate is high – anywhere from 40-60% of this select group still don’t make the grade […]
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 […]