Tag Archives: Taking Care of People

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 24

What Experts Say About Lessons Learned

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The other day I was asked about what lessons I have learned over the past 25 years that could be distilled into a hindsight approach.  I thought that was a great question and so, as with all great questions, I asked the Internet.  Rather than ask for the nearest location of a great teriyaki takeout […]

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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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June 17

Some Things Don’t Change

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A recent survey by the Ketchum Group’s Leadership Monitor was picked up by a variety of blogs and newspapers due to the “shock” value of the survey conclusions: women outperform men in the top four key leadership metrics. At first glance, this is the type of headline that provides the television talk shows and roundtables the opportunity […]

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May 18

Transfusion Is A Good Thing

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Transfusion is most frequently associated with the process by which blood is introduced into a human being (EDITOR NOTE: The author’s medical skills and knowledge extend to generally responding appropriately to burns or cuts, accessing Web-MD, and calling 911).  The purposes can be under planned or unexpected circumstances, to either replace the loss of blood, or […]

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May 06

Appreciation

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This being the occasion of Public Service Appreciation Week, it seems appropriate to take a moment and consider the act of appreciation, from the perspective of a leader. The power of appreciation is an awesome thing to behold.  As young children, we were taught that “please” and “thank you” were required elements of just about […]

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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 05

Things The Boss Doesn’t Tell You

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Having just concluded a post about not keeping secrets, it occurred to me that in fact, there are probably a few secrets your boss hasn’t, and won’t ever, tell you.  Examining them is food for thought for the new leader and aspiring leader.  The experienced leader should also take note because if you can’t check the […]

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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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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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July 03

Defining the “Reluctant Warrior”

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It’s review time. You are sitting down with a teammate talking development and goals and the future with a hardworking, productive member of your organization. In the midst of this, comes the following – “Do I need to have goals and a career development plan? I don’t want to be a leader”. Hopefully, your hair […]

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June 21

Defining the “Rogue”

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Webster’s defines “rogue” as a “scoundrel, scamp, or generally mischievous person”.  In Nachbar and Lanse’s work “Popular Culture”, the tension between the hero as Rogue, and the hero as Citizen is represented in American popular culture in numerous ways. Americans admire their Citizen heroes and carve their faces and names in granite.  Americans love their Rogue […]

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Leading Others – “Whom Do I Lead? – Part II”

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Now that we have ourselves sorted out, who is next to be led? No surprises here as it is the people around you – your team, your peers, your boss, and anyone else other than you in your organization. You lead these others in a variety of ways using varying tools and skills. By using […]

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