Are You Making This Tragic Accountability Mistake?
Have you ever noticed that lack of accountability is contagious? If you know your boss is paying close attention to your results (and how you achieve them), you’re more likely to be absolutely certain that your team is doing the right thing, at […]
How Managers Can Reclaim Their Lost Soul
In a recent leadership development program, we talked about “manager soul loss” – the isolation, bitterness, and despair that seeps into many leaders’ hearts. We share the stages of soul loss and symptoms to look out for to help leaders identify and prevent them […]
How to Talk With Your Boss When You Totally Disagree
Talk with your boss when you disagree—you might be surprised at the results. I was seething. The CEO had just asked my team to do something that I felt lacked integrity, was unprincipled, manipulative, and put our clients in a bad position. […]
The Best Way to Empower Employees as Customer Advocates
You want to empower your employees as customer advocates, but it’s tricky. No one understands your customer’s needs and frustrations better than your employees. When your customers are frustrated, your employees are too. But let’s be real. What’s best for the customer […]
How Do I Succeed in a Promotion I’m Scared Of?
Karin, everyone thinks I’m ready for this promotion but me. My boss, my mentor, my peers … People I respect say I’m a natural for the gig. But I just don’t see it. I’m worried that my fear will cause me to […]
Best Practices in Leadership and Productivity: A Frontline Festival
Welcome to the Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival! This month, our contributors share their best practices in leadership and productivity. Thanks to Joy and Tom Guthrie of Vizwerx Group for the great pic and to all our contributors! The August Frontline Festival will be […]
The Most Neglected Act of Innovation
If you’ve never seen it before, it’s hard to describe the power of an avalanche. Fortunately, I’ve never experienced one myself. But I have seen their power. This weekend, Karin and I cycled in the Colorado mountains between Frisco and Copper Mountain. […]
How to Stop Wasting People’s Courage
Eliminate courage sinkholes to energize your team. When you think about inspiring courage at work, what comes to mind? Encouraging your team to … Speak their truth in meetings? Challenge your thinking? Share new ideas? Question the way we’ve always done it? […]
How Conduct a Remarkably Better Post-Mortem Review
Ditch the Post-Mortem and Hold a Post-Project Celebration If you’re like most managers we talk with, you know the importance of post-mortem reviews. But unless your project ends in disaster, it’s easy to skip the review and move on to the next […]
11 Inspiring Leadership Secrets from Bonsai
A mature bonsai tree commands attention. With a single tree, a master evokes an entire landscape and tells a story of power, perseverance, struggle, or abundance. As I’ve studied bonsai, I realized there are many leadership secrets available for leaders who want […]
One Question Leaders Ask to Build Better Ideas
To build better ideas, point people toward solutions. You can’t possibly come up with the solution to every problem. You know you need your team’s input. And even when you’ve got a good idea, it can improve. Your team can help you […]
How Do I Deal With a Passive Aggressive Co-worker?
Have you ever dealt with a passive-aggressive turkey like this? On Monday your passive-aggressive peer says, “We girls have to stick together. You know there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women. I’ve got you.” And then […]