Make Your Strategic Vision a Call to Change

Make Your Strategic Vision a Call to Change

A strategic vision is meant to articulate the preferred future of your organization. But visions are too often written as broad, idealistic statements that don’t explicitly convey change. So, several years ago I developed a tool called the “Change Trajectory Chart”....
Five Lessons Surfers Can Teach Us about Strategy

Five Lessons Surfers Can Teach Us about Strategy

On a recent trip to California I ventured out to a place known as “surfer’s point.” The waves were more than 12 feet high and the undercurrent was strong. Looking up and down the coastline I counted nearly 100 surfers, young and old, testing their skills and courage...
Five Things to Do When You Join a New Team

Five Things to Do When You Join a New Team

A move to a new organization or different team within your current organization can feel disorienting and stressful. You want to earn respect, be liked, and find meaning in your new venture, but the stakes feel high. They hired you for this position – now you have to...
Do You REALLY “Get” Them?

Do You REALLY “Get” Them?

If you are going to lead – truly lead a team – there is one thing your people must believe and say about you; “my leader gets me”. This phrase is shorthand for: You know what motivates them to show up each day. You seek to understand and affirm their feelings and...
Recognizing and Dealing with Defensiveness

Recognizing and Dealing with Defensiveness

It’s not easy to give critical feedback. Especially when the person on the receiving end gets defensive. Here are five common types of defensive responses. How many have you encountered (or perhaps even caught yourself engaging in)? Deny or Argue Intent: Cause...