-Telecom Company President
There is a difference between a contract and a covenant. A contract basically says, “I will do this if you do that.” A covenant says “I am going to do this no matter what you do.”
Ask yourself, “Do I lead with a contractual mindset or a covenant mindset?” There are four benefits to all of us who lead if we exercise Covenant Leadership - whether we are leading a company, a team, or a family. Continue Reading…
It stung! No doubt about it. A few months after Bob left the company, I found out he had pulled the wool over my eyes. I got burned by someone I had trusted.
He faked his work activity reports. He forged signatures of clients. There were even rumors of him talking to me on the phone during work hours as he lay in bed with one of his colleagues. Continue Reading…
Is this scene familiar to you? The boss walks through the office and says “Good morning” to people before closing his door until lunch. He walks back through the office after lunch saying “Good afternoon” to people before closing his door until he leaves the building at the end of the day. “See you tomorrow!”, he says cheerfully.
It may seem like a scene from “The Office” or a Dilbert cartoon. But unfortunately when I speak or consult with companies, this is a common scenario. The major source of interaction people have with their boss is through electronic communications. This is not leading! Continue Reading…
Why doesn’t my team act like a team? Why am I always dealing with politics, bad attitudes, and distrust among team members? Why haven’t we come close to reaching our potential?
I am always putting out fires. I never seem to have time to focus on bigger issues. The day-to-day tyranny of the urgent seems to overwhelm the more important strategic initiatives I always intend to focus on.
These soul-searching questions summarize what I see a lot of leaders struggling with in their organizations. This is when I like to ask them - “What do you stand for? And does your team know what you stand for?” Continue Reading…
“Sorry. It’s policy.” This comment may be true, but it can also be a sign of a weak leader. Policies are not perfect - especially personnel policies. Leaders need to be willing to stand up and fight when needed.
Most companies have personnel policies, and the larger the company the more rigid the policies usually are. But, the rigidity of the policy does not always make it right. Continue Reading…
Business magazines publish article after article discussing a company’s culture. The articles often focus on perks, the color of the office walls, or the fact there is a ping pong table where the conference table used to be.
Who cares! I don’t care that I get to play ping pong at work if I can’t trust the guy I just beat to be honest with me later. A pig with lipstick on is still a pig. Continue Reading…
A lot of people do not like performance reviews. Many times it is the anticipation of bad news that can cause anxiety in the individual. The fear of the unknown can overwhelm people.
That’s the problem. Nothing that is discussed in a performance review should be unknown.
That is why they are called performance reviews - NOT performance reveals! Continue Reading…
Imagine a company that truly lived by its values. Imagine a company where Trust was a core value. What would it be like to work for a company that habitually operated like the values they espouse? Continue Reading…
I know why you said what you said! I know why you did what you did! I am able to diagnose your motives. Because I believe I know your motives, I am sure you are the problem and not something else-like me!
These are all lies. But, they are lies that we easily fall into. I’ve done it. I have been sure of someone’s motives. Have I ever been right? Maybe. Continue Reading…
I started my first team from scratch and it took us over two years to hit our stride. My second team had a mix of experienced and novice members on it. We took about a year to begin to fire on all cylindars. The next team was pieced together from other teams. The individuals were all tenured and successful but most had not worked together before. We hit our stride quickly.
The way a leader launches into leadership with a new team can often determine that team’s trajectory for years to come. Continue Reading…
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