November 24

Do You Have What it Takes to Admit Mistakes?

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In a previous post, I talked about the confluence of leadership and truth, especially when the truth may hurt. The goal was hopefully to establish that this practice was not a “one-off” topic in your leadership library but a valid, accepted behavior that all good leaders understand, and great ones model. The purpose of today’s […]

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November 24

When Conflict isn’t a Problem

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The terms “conflict resolution” and “problem solving” are sometimes used interchangeably in organizations to describe any situation which has the potential to, or has already, threatened the momentum or direction of things. Practically, they are two very different dynamics and revolve around some very distinct action steps. Confusing one for the other is by and […]

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November 09

What’s Your Story?

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It is a human experience to tell stories to communicate between each other.  Psychologists and neurologists see this as the quintessential human behavior.  From Homer’s Iliad to the most recent popular fiction, humans using the power of story is a staple of nearly every culture and community that has graced the earth since recorded time.  […]

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November 08

Leadership Lesson on Veterans Day

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Veterans Day is an excellent opportunity to reflect on what the profession of arms in a democracy has given us over the past 200 years.  The United States, for most of its history has been a country where the military has represented an opportunity to improve one’s life potential, whether through experiences, skills, or education. Among […]

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November 03

When Does The Learning Stop?

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While preparing for this post, I ran across a factoid (published by the Jenkins group, a private book publisher) that boggled the mind (or at least mine). According to Jenkins, 42% of college graduates never read a book again, ever. Um…wow.  That’s even worse than the 30% of high school graduates who follow the same […]

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October 27

You Keep Using That Word – Communicating Effectively

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Resolving communication problems can appear to be simplistic when written as a five-step action plan.  In the real world, the causes for miscommunication between yourself and another, or your entire team, may be a much more difficult issue to tackle.  Depending on your emotional IQ, or your teams, no one may be even willing to […]

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October 17

Your Own Kobayashi Maru – Leadership in a Crisis

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For the Trekkie‘s amongst you, the K-Maru scenario has been fodder for uncountable arguments. In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Maru is a training simulation every Star Fleet cadet is put through.  In essence, the decisions available to the student are all “no-win” and the entire exercise is about how you come to terms with […]

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October 08

People You Should Know – CDR Richard Massie and CDR Leif Mollo

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UPDATED: As this blog evolves, the manner in which I troll for material often brings to mind specific people or teams who exemplify the concepts of human leadership. Up to now, I have done my best to incorporate some of their qualities and attributes into specific examples that would fit in with the tenor and purpose […]

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October 08

When it Sucks – Suck it Up!

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It is pretty unlikely that a worker in our traditional American workplace will spend their entire working life without at some point feeling the sting of a defeat.  It could be the failure of a project, or getting passed by for an opportunity, or simply unexpected feedback that conflicts with their own self-narrative.  I clearly remember […]

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October 08

Defining the…Eeyore

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The collection of characters that makes up A.A. Milne’s children’s classic “Winnie the Pooh” are a cross-section of personality types that when summed, create a rich tapestry for children to feel.  The boundless energy of Tigger, the hesitancy of Pooh, the confidence of Christopher Robin, the steadfast loyalty of Piglet – all give the child reader […]

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September 29

When You Don’t Own It

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“Just own it”. Which is of course the opposite of “Just do it”.  One requires accountability while the other requires initiative.  One without the other can lead to either some pretty radical explosions, or a pet rock. From the perspective of a leader, there is no shortage of books, articles, and other assorted media devoted […]

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September 29

The Learning Leader

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The other day, I had the opportunity to briefly chat with a colleague whom I had managed for several years, and who themself was now in a leadership position.  The general conversation was about how they had identified some key sources of leadership guidance early on and continually referred to it whenever a particular problem or issue […]

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The Truth, and Other Things

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There are two possibilities about your team that you can contemplate from your position of leader. The first possibility is that they will follow you because they want to. Or, they will follow you because they have to. Despite the apparent differences that each of these realities suggest, there is one important similarity. You have […]

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Does Management Even Matter? – Leading Your Organization

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A recent piece in Slate caught my attention and seems ripe for discussion and comment. An article by Fisman and Sullivan praised the New York Passport Agency as a model of efficiency, and says the operation is in the “vanguard of workplace effectiveness”. The part that seemed out of place was that they were praising a government agency, where […]

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Up The Lazy River – Leading Others

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The Economist recently published a blog post with a theme sure to warm the hearts of anyone who recently shelled out some coin for the latest management treatise that screamed out the need to cram 25 hours into the day and simply work your competition into the ground. “In praise of laziness” takes to task the […]

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Things That Nobody Gets

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Forbes recently had an article suggesting that 20-somethings are missing some important facts about success in life and work.  The author, aged 34, referred to himself as a curmudgeon in relation to his team of millenials at his self-created business.  Beside the chuckle thatwelled up in me reading that, when I reviewed a list of […]

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Is the Interview Started? – Leading Self

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The point at which you make a decision to attempt to advance your position in your current job can come at many points.  It may have been when you were first considering joining an organization in the first place.  It may have been after you started (at the bottom) and having put in some time and […]

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What Happens When The Music Stops? – Managing Conflict

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One of the most critical moments for an organization is that point when a crisis looms. It might be brought on by a resource issue, and hard decisions had to be made about the way forward. Or, it could be because the organization just spent some time trying to figure out what was value added and what was […]

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When Change Hurts

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If you take the King’s shilling, as the quote goes, “you do the King’s bidding”. When the King starts to run out of shillings, things start to happen.  One of the likely and predictable consequences of having a lesser number of shillings is the possibility that there might need to be a smaller organization in […]

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“Mr. Scott, ..Set Phasers on Ignore” – Communicating Effectively

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Sending and receiving large volumes of information is a daily routine in the modern workplace. As a leader, you communicate in many ways other than emails or memo’s, to your peers, your bosses, and your team. However, chances are, there may be something that dilutes the power of your message or the urgency or importance […]

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