75% of a person’s waking hours are spent on work – Getting to and from work. Thinking about work. Actually working in their job. I heard this statistic last week and started thinking about what an awesome responsibility we have as leaders. My leadership at work has huge implications for the lives of my people. […]
“I want to do your job someday Dave. Will you show me how to get there?” I loved the ambition and drive Dorothy showed with that statement. But like others before her, she had no clue what the most critical thing she needed to accomplish was before she became promotable. I had just offered her […]
Should someone continue to pay me for doing part of my job? I have encountered people who think that doing a good job in parts of their work is enough to expect continued employment and in some cases promotions. Here are some examples: A nurse who is strong clinically, but consistently fails to correctly document […]
There is a woman I know who does nothing but serves others. Every time I see her, she is helping or offering to help others. I am amazed at her energy and her constant giving. She is always in a good mood! Who are the biggest servants you know? I am talking about the people […]
“There are plenty of good idea men. A lot of them are collecting tolls on the thruway as we speak.” It is a rare individual who can be counted on for ideas and for action. Over time, as I hired and led teams, I realized that while I loved to have people who were both […]
“He’s doing the job. In fact, he is meeting every performance goal we have for him. But….” It’s what comes after the “But” that can drive leaders crazy and cause sleepless nights. Unfortunately, many leaders will put up with what comes after the “But” because the performance metrics are being met. It is a tough […]
It was one of those meetings. Every time I brought up an issue or an idea, all I got was blank stares or nodding heads. Every time I tried to illicit feedback from my team, I felt as if I were pulling teeth. All I heard was crickets. When I finally had enough, I looked […]
I spent a long time believing that if I was good at something, I needed to tell people about it. I thought it was a sign of confidence. Looking back, I realize I turned a lot of people off with that attitude. Few people would argue that confidence is not an important trait for successful […]
Last month, I spoke to over 700 people about the role of courage in leadership. I had 10 minutes to speak. Courage goes beyond the physical courage displayed by our soldiers on the battlefield. Moral courage is needed from leaders in the hallways and boardrooms of businesses and non-profits as well. Click on the image […]
I knew some brilliant people in high school. They made good grades and graduated without even trying. They went to good colleges and got impressive degrees. I also knew some people in high school who struggled with grades. Try as they might, they fought to make it to graduation day. Some went to community college […]
