9 Leadership Mistakes to Avoid
In a recent online poll, about 1,000 U.S. workers were asked what their biggest complaints were about their leaders. Today we’ll talk about the top nine of these complaints, how they are connected, and what you can do to avoid being one of the leaders they are complaining about.
How to Delegate on the Fly
To get the job done as a leader, you have to delegate. There’s no other way around it. Often, we are in a big hurry too. But if you are moving too fast, you are liable to forget something important. Today I’ll give you a simple tool you can use so that when you delegate […]
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.
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 […]
How to Confirm Your Plan with a Recon
Today we’re going the extra mile. Quite literally. Next weekend our Scout troop is going winter camping in the hills of Pennsylvania. I think we have a pretty good plan for the trip, but I always like to confirm my ideas by walking the ground ahead of time whenever possible. It’s a reconnaissance. Join me, […]
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 […]
How to Write an Inspiring Vision Statement
A vision statement is supposed to be like the North Star, serving as a light that guides your organization into the future. Today we’re going to talk about how you can put together a great vision statement that unifies and inspires your team, and helps you achieve the future that you dream of.
How to Give Constructive Feedback
You know, one of the first counseling sessions I received as a leader was also one of the toughest. I learned that I was falling short of my commander’s expectations in several ways, and it was hurting the team. When it was over, I ended up thanking my commander and was determined to get better. […]
How Backwards Planning Can Move You Forward
The first time I heard the term “backwards planning” I thought it was a mistake. The last thing I wanted was to be backwards about my planning. But that’s not what they meant at all. Today we’ll talk about what backwards planning is and how you can use this technique to develop a successful plan […]
Get it Right with a Pre-Execution Checklist
Have you ever been getting ready to do something important, then forgot to take care of one critical thing? That almost happened to me a couple weeks ago. Fortunately, there was a technique we used that saved us some embarrassment and helped make sure things went smoothly. It’s called the Pre-execution Checklist, and today we’re […]
4 Ways to Get a Leader’s Perspective
You know, I was hiking this beautiful fall day, and it got me thinking. The trails here in Pennsylvania are rocky, you really have to watch where you put your feet or you could twist an ankle. The problem is that if your head is always down watching your feet, you miss a lot of […]
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 […]
