Special Note to Readers of this Post: This was originally published in 2017, as an excerpt from the anthology, Humans At Work. So much is different right now and the kinds of conversations we must have with our teams are heart-breaking. This was written for terminating people for performance issues. Much of it still applies to…
“Bad leaders care about who is right. Good leaders care about what is right.”– Simon Sinek Per the Gallup Organization, 75% of workers who leave jobs do so because of poor relationships with their boss (aka – manager). Assumption. Everyone reading this is a manager of people, process or project. Even if you are a…
I chuckle whenever I hear Emotional Intelligence referred to as “Soft Skills”. There is nothing soft about it. To acquire high level leadership skills, to master emotions, to develop relationships, to deal with humanity – these are some of the hardest skills to acquire, practice and master. Interestingly enough, they are also some of the most requested skills…
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.” — Peter Drucker A commitment is the fire that sits in the center of accountability. How many times have you made an agreement with yourself – to lose weight? To get the work project done on time? To spend one afternoon to yourself?…
“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” – Mother Teresa Appreciation is the bread of life. It’s the sustenance that creates growth, humanity, connection and joy. Appreciation creates emotional safety and connection. It is the fuel that creates trust, commitment and willingness to engage. We’ve not spent a lot…
Here’s a good one from the client question vault: How do you react to an individual who won’t accept or receive your feedback? There is nothing more frustrating than a person who greets your well-intended feedback with defensiveness, rebuff or denial. True feedback, offered in the spirit of improvement, is not easy to give –…
Leaders make promises. The great leaders do what it takes to keep those promises. This is never truer than when making promises to yourself. This is the time of year for “resolutions”, a word that seems stern and righteous. Resolution sounds like something outside of you. University of Scranton research suggests that of the 45%…
When the best salesperson on the team begins to self-destruct because she can’t seem to corral her passions and emotions, it is up to you to create a way to let the steam out of the kettle. Some of your highest producing salespeople can be a handful when it comes to leadership and managing emotions.…
For more than 150 years, Gay Head Light has stood high atop the cliffs of Martha’s Vineyard, its guiding light sweeping out to sea. Battered by storms, almost hidden by fog, threatened with erosion, the lighthouse is stalwart in its beacon of hope. Those lost in the elements only had to look for the sweeping…
You – yes, you! You are a spotlight leader. Each person in a position of influence and authority finds themselves in the spotlight. People are overt or covert in their observations but, rest assured, they are looking at you. So, what’s your job? Keep the spotlight bright with behaviors and attitudes that you want repeated in…