As Sid and I wrapped up our discussion, it was clear that he now saw the pattern that had been holding his teams back for years. He was a guy with all kinds of ideas and a “bias for action.” And when he was an individual contributor, that served him well. Most of the time …
When a Bias for Action Becomes a Leadership Problem Read More »
“I didn’t realize I was doing all of this.” Those were the words of a woman I was coaching a while back. I’ll call her Marie. Marie and I were talking because she felt stuck and wasn’t sure what to do. She was looking for another perspective. So she called me. She was overwhelmed and …
Feeling Overwhelmed at Work? Start by Writing Down Everything You Do. Read More »
Last week, I had a surprising realization. A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have hired…me. If someone had told me: “I help leaders who feel like everything still depends on them develop their people so their business can grow.” or “I help you build a team you’re proud to lead.” I would have immediately …
“What are you doing?” I was in the university welding shop when my boss asked me that. He had more years of experience than I’d been alive and I still had a lot to learn. But the answer to that question seemed pretty obvious to me. I had a push broom in my hands, and …
If you’re leading people, you should be thinking about verbs. A lot. Now it may sound ridiculous to suggest that parts of speech are a critical aspect of developing your people and building an effective team but hear me out. To be clear, I don’t have anything against nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Prepositions, participles, …
The Light Bulb Moment The look in her eye told the whole story. I didn’t see it but my wife, Kiersten, did. I was coaching a young couple at our dining room table. They’re longtime friends of ours from church so Kiersten was there with us. This couple had recently started a business together. I …
A few weeks back I was running my weed eater through what turned out to be a whole bunch of poison ivy. And, while that in itself could be enough of a lesson to share with you today, I’m going to pass along something else I learned while I was cleaning up that ditch. As …
She was hurrying down the aisle of the crowded exhibition hall when our eyes met. She slowed her pace just slightly, then she stopped. I introduced myself and we began to talk. Jen’s story is fascinating. But the encouraging conversation that I’ll share more about in a moment almost didn’t happen. Why? For the same …
3 Simple Ways to Build Stronger Connections at Work Read More »
Most leaders have worked with someone they would privately describe as indecisive. You may have someone on your team that comes to mind immediately. You ask a clear question and you expect a clear answer. Instead, you hear: “Well… it depends.” “I’m not completely sure yet.” “I can see a few different ways this could play out.” “There …
“How long have you known each other?” What seemed like a simple question to me generated some interesting looks during a recent meeting I was in with a client. (An anonymized client, of course, to maintain confidentiality.) I was talking with the leadership team of a small, but operationally complex business. And they didn’t really …
Better Communication Starts with Better Understanding Read More »