- Project Manager in Oil and Gas Industry
The first team I led had two women, two African American’s and someone of Asian descent. The other 5 were white males. Our team picture could have been used as an HR poster for diversity!
I hired most of them because I felt they were of high character and high potential. Diversity was not part of my decision making process, even though it may have looked like it. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving. That team was not REALLY diverse. That team was not very good either. Continue Reading…
“Is Anthony better because you were there?” My dad, General Jim Anderson, always has a way at cutting to the chase. That day was no different.
I was telling him about a coaching session I had just finished with Anthony, one of my direct reports. I felt satisfied as I walked away from Anthony.
I prepared the night before, prayed for wisdom that morning, and delivered my message right before lunch. I kept my cool when he reacted negatively. I had won that battle. But, Anthony never got better. I had lost the war.
Julie had her reservations. She wasn’t sure if this guy was right for the job. Over my first 18 months on the job, Julie always spoke with candor, and she seemed to be a good judge of people.
But, I didn’t listen. I convinced myself, and then her, that this guy was right for the job. I made a good case. With some skepticism, she finally agreed. So, I hired him.
Within 90 days, I knew I was in trouble. I should have listened to Julie. Continue Reading…
In a hotel bar in Orlando, a peer of mine was acting like the south end of a north-facing horse during a convention we were attending…and I did nothing about it. I failed as a leader that night.
I am still disappointed in myself because I failed to act like a leader when someone needed to step forward. The situation was not a pretty one. I chose not to deal with an ugly situation, and therefore I failed to exercise Ugly Leadership. Continue Reading…
He was a borderline narcissist. His reaction to my coaching often approached rage. I hired him for his past performance in another industry. But, I failed to fire him quickly when I realized he was unwilling to change.
Every now and then I add another entry to my un-resume. These are my leadership screw-ups and the lessons I have learned from them. Wisdom does not come through perfection. Wisdom comes through failure. Continue Reading…
My un-resume is my list of screw-ups. They are things I am not proud of.
Periodically I share my un-resume with the world. Most people who speak and consult on leadership are sure to present their successes to their clients. I’m doing something different.
Yes, I’ve had success through the years and received awards and recognition as a result. But rarely did my successes teach me as much as my failures. Rest assured, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to learn!
As a leader, one of my biggest mistakes was believing I should treat everyone equally. This is a societal fallacy that has moved into HR driven management training. In fact, treating people equally is management not leadership.
Treating all people equally is a management strategy that is meant to prevent litigation. It is a strategy that has little to do with driving productivity, developing leaders, or motivating employees.
As I strived to build Low Maintenance Teams in a bureaucratic organization characterized by equal treatment for all, I would often tell my people, “I will treat you all fairly, but I will not treat you equally.”
It was nuts! I had all the documentation and evidence I needed to fire her, but I was being investigated! She claimed I created an unfair work environment.
This woman skipped work and lied repeatedly. I got reports of her sleeping with some customers and unprofessional behavior with others.
Her actions created a schism within my team. I had multiple reasons to fire her, but I was being investigated! Continue Reading…
I powered through my agenda for the meeting. The meeting addressed everything I felt was important to cover from my vantage point. I walked out satisfied and fulfilled.
The problem was I was the only one feeling that way. From the team’s perspective, the meeting left too many issues unaddressed. They left more frustrated than when the meeting started. I had failed my team. Continue Reading…
When everything began to unravel for Pete, I knew I was going to have fire him. I took it personally. Like most leaders, I rarely lose sleep over the technical issues of my job. It is the people who give me insomnia. In this case it was Pete.
I hired Pete. He had all the promise in the world. But, he turned out to be a bad hire. He lied to me. He didn’t work hard and he pulled the wool over my eyes for longer than I wanted to admit. Continue Reading…
Click here to receive my blog posts
by e-mail. Sign me up!
