Organizational leadership takes place in one of two contexts. Either… The organization is heading to new heights – it’s a start-up, or an existing organization that’s reached a plateau. It needs a Visionary to take it to new and uncharted territory. Or… The organization is sinking in the depths; in the shit, as it were. …
In response to the post from a few days ago, “Why developing leaders is hard and the two most powerful ways to go about it“, Kurt Häusler (@Kurt_Haeusler) commented: “Both assume good leadership is already in place, nearby and available. It also encourages emulation over improvement.”. [If you’ve not read the post already, maybe take a…
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, which fundamentally is the improvement in an individual’s ability to take the lead and in their people skills, must start from, and be driven by, the learner. Leadership is an individual endeavor. Not solitary, but individual. This is one of the reasons leadership development programs are so often a waste of time and…
THOSE OF YOU who’ve been reading this blog for a while will know that I don’t see good leadership as having followers, but rather as a set of attributes that bring success not only to titled-leaders, but to anyone who embodies them. Independence, People Skills, Expertise, and Passion enable anyone to be successful, not just…
THE definition of leadership is: It’s not by accident that the first clause is about what you are setting out to achieve. It all starts with that. Good leadership is founded on vision. That term, “Vision”, is a bit over-used, and therefore perhaps compromised, sullied, clichéd, but it still fits. Good leaders don’t accept what…
NEXT time something doesn’t go the way you planned, no matter the scale, (a business failure, a disagreement, a poor restaurant experience, a trip over the curb, an interaction with an employee or colleague), don’t beat up on yourself. Instead, stop and ask yourself two questions: 1. What went wrong? 2. What could I have…
Alarm. iPhone. Get ready. iPhone. Commute. iPhone. Email. Meetings. Lunch. iPhone. Clients. More meetings. iPhone. Drinks. Commute. Gym. TV. Internet. Sleep. Do it again. You live a full life. It’s no doubt easier than life was for your forebears a few generations ago, but it’s also faster-paced, more varied, and filled with countless more distractions….
OTHER than the ability to think, with which it is inextricably linked, there is no more important skill for a leader* than the ability to communicate well. The 1st rule of effective communication is to listen well. Hopefully you’ve already heard that. So what’s the 2nd rule? Clarity, clarity, clarity. Let me use a few…
What makes a follower? Is it okay to be a follower, and if so, when should you follow, and why? There are those that follow like sheep, stupidly, out of some instinct-like need to stay with the heard. They don’t really add value; just make up the numbers. There are those who follow like dogs,…
WHAT do leaders do? Better stated, what should they do? It’s a question oft asked and with a multitude of answers. Here’s a definitive list that briefly outlines the essentials. If any of these things is not done, or not done well, your venture risks failure. They are not done in isolation, they are dynamic,…
