Category Archives: Empowers Others

Tips to Empower your Team

March 06

The Art of Getting Stuff Done – 4 Things Leaders Should Know

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A review of contemporary literature on business success (or success in any endeavor involving the joint efforts of two or more people) often breaks down success into a couple of principles.  Leadership and management are often discussed in the same conversation as if they are two separate end states which will sometimes run at cross-purposes […]

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November 07

The Good Idea Fairy

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The culture of an organization can often be characterized by a few key behaviors. These behaviors may offer insight into the degree to which a team may be experienced, confident, or mission-aware. One type of behavior is how the team reacts when the Good Idea Fairy comes flitting into the meeting room, sprinkling pixie dust […]

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July 01

It’s Not About The Food – Why Leaders Eat Last

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Simon Sinek is famous for one of the most popular TedTalks of all time and for asking provocative questions about why some teams can rally through adversity and get things done while others fall apart at the first sign of trouble, or just can’t figure out a way around the obstacle in their way. Sinek’s central theme […]

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June 20

Bloom Where You Are Planted

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The newly hired coach of the New York Knicks, Derek Fisher, gave a press conference a week ago in which the many shortcomings and challenges with his new team was the topic of conversation. Fisher’s response was an example of leadership mindset at it’s finest. “How do you make the most of what you have? That’s the message I’ll send […]

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May 05

Exercising Good Judgment

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One of my new favorite blogs had a definition yesterday that really resonated with what can be the core of a leader’s daily responsibility. “Leadership….is nothing less than the repetitive exercise of discretionary judgment…”. Which leads one to think, is there a judgment muscle that can be trained or exercised or enhanced through the proper […]

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April 28

First Rule of Bossing – Do No Harm

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Stanford professor Robert Sutton is well known for his theories on management and business, with over a dozen books to his credit.  His most popular work is about being civil in the workplace, which at its core is about the Golden Rule. It is unfortunate that in any conversation about workplace jerks, the buck stops pretty squarely […]

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April 10

Attitude is Every Day

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For those of you who just took a chewing from the boss, or experienced a spectacular fail, or got crushed under a huge Rock Of Unrealistically High Expectations, coming in to work the next day (or the next minute, depending on the circumstances) can be an ordeal.  Sometimes, it’s even worse if you have had […]

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April 05

The Secret To Leadership Isn’t A Secret

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There is a saying that goes “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead”.  While this may be the creed of the professional  intelligence officer, in the world of the leadership of human beings by other human beings, the goal is the opposite.  The temptation to keep secrets can often be the undoing of […]

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March 23

Entitlement and Leadership

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The cliché of the executive washroom to which the entitled Chief Executive dispenses access like cash is a staple of many of the Reagan-era Hollywood depictions of the corporate leader. It was (then) a perfect description of how those outside the boardroom viewed life inside. It definitely was the kind of image that was likely to strike […]

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February 10

The Vision Thing – Motivating Others

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There is an oft-quoted parable used to illustrate how vision translates down to the team. It centers around three stonemasons working at a job site who are asked what they are doing by a visitor. The first one, sweat pouring from his brow, grumpily replies that he is “cutting stone.” The second stonemason sighs, and says […]

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May The Force Be With You – Empowering Others

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As a leader, you have countless opportunities to be exposed to the various “competencies” of the leadership craft. It is understandable (and perhaps frustrating) that the manner in which these skills are portrayed in whichever media you have chosen (including this blog) do not necessarily come with a full proof plan for absorbing and executing […]

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Engagement – It’s just about a ring….

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According to a recent study by Deloitte, only 20% of workers are truly “passionate” about their job. Brent Peterson, in his book “Fake Work” reported research that claimed 70+% of workers believe their organization’s strategies and goals are not translated into specific work tasks they can execute, do not know how to support their organizations’ strategies […]

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Influencing Others –

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So, you understand that people will follow your lead because they want to, and not because they have to? And, you have worked hard to keep a consistent character-driven relationship with everyone. What’s next? There are many force multipliers in the field of “influence”, but there are an equal number of “force-dividers”, which will ensure […]

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Got Influence?

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It is generally accepted among leaders who have significant experience in the dynamic that things get done more often because of influence rather than direction. The new positional leader may find this challenge to be among the first they experience.  Having been anointed as a “leader” by virtue of title or job description, it is […]

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Got Toxic? – Lead With Maturity and Passion

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Over the last 10 years, the US Army has noticed something that the corporate world has known for a long time. To wit, a jerk boss can really cause damage in an organization. As one of the armed services defined by its relationship to the civilian-led Department of Defense, the Army is required to be […]

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