Savoring and Rumination Part 1: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty type of leader? I can tell you for sure that I lean toward the latter and must work hard to pause, see, and reflect on what’s working, what’s beautiful, what’s meaningful, and what’s possible in every situation. Which way do you lean? Unsure? Try this self-observation exercise […]
Keeping Your Executive Leadership Team Sharp
One of my greatest joys is working with highly motivated executive teams – particularly within organizations that have moved from small and scrappy to mid-sized and more formal. A question many of these teams ask is: How do we make sure our team stays sharp and effective as our organization grows? It’s a great question! […]
Becoming a Non-Anxious Leader
We live in an age of anxiety, and it is contagious. One of the most common self-defeating patterns I see in the leaders I coach is a failure to distinguish anxiety from legitimate urgency. You may be asking yourself: What’s the difference? Here’s how I define the two: Anxiety is an emotional state — often […]
Letting Go of Unrealistic Expectations
In a collection of Jewish teachings known as Midrash, the 4th century Rabbi Tanchuma is cited as saying: “When you expect gratitude, you are making your kindness a business transaction.” We all have a tendency to believe that each day we act with unconditional kindness and generosity. But the truth is, we spend a lot […]
Part 5 – Leading Better Meetings: Five Strategies for Addressing Problem Behaviors
In Part 4 of this series we identified six archetypal problem behaviors – patterns of participation, often unconscious and habitual – that distract from the purpose of our meetings and undermine productive engagement. The following five strategies will aid you in addressing such behaviors. Separate the person from the problem behavior. As a rule, problem […]
Part 4 – Leading Better Meetings: Identifying Problem Behavior
People don’t hate meetings because they are inherently horrible. They hate meetings that are poorly led – especially when it comes to tolerating problematic behavior. I define “problem behavior” as a pattern of participation, often unconscious and habitual, that distracts from the purpose of the meeting and undermines productivity. How often do you see the […]
Part 3 – Leading Better Meetings: Stage-Setting for Success with ACORN
Pilots don’t just throttle a jet down the runway and into the air. First, they check out the plane, set the GPS, and confirm the basics with their co-pilot. Likewise, the most successful meetings involve a “pre-flight protocol”. But too often eager leaders simply launch into their agenda and miss the opportunity to properly set […]
Part 2 – Leading Better Meetings: Only Meet for the Right Reasons
How many times have you found yourself sitting in a meeting and silently asking: “What the hell am I doing here?” “Does ‘this’ actually justify being in a room together?”Maybe it’s a standing weekly meeting that no longer serves its original purpose. Or, a promised status update that has turned into an endless presentation with […]
Part 1 – Leading Better Meetings: Why Good People Have Bad Meetings
I’m not sure I need to convince you that there is an endemic dysfunction afflicting our workplaces – terrible meetings. Regardless of whether they are virtual or in-person, meetings can be really bad for a variety of reasons: Meetings aren’t taken seriously. People show up distracted and underprepared. They are skeptical about whether anything of […]
Five Questions to Answer Before Embarking on Strategic Planning
Each year organizations invest significant time and money in strategic planning efforts that, according to managers who participate, result in limited impact. Why do these efforts fail to produce the anticipated benefit? In my opinion it’s a lack of readiness or, more specifically, a failure to answer five questions: Are you driven by fear or […]