ON MY MIND: This White Man’s Responsibility (Part 3)
In Part 1 of this blog, I introduced white male privilege as a key leadership challenge. Last week’s Part 2 blog offered examples of “self-directed” actions – steps leaders can take to confront their own ignorance, complacency, and complicity. In this week’s blog, I’ll explore “outward-directed” actions that we can take to foster equal access […]
ON MY MIND: This White Man’s Responsibility (Part 1)
Back in the 1980s, I was at a small regional airport with a colleague named Michael. We were traveling together, running late and at risk of missing our flight. I suggested we sprint to the gate. Michael looked at me and said, “Larry, a guy who looks like me, particularly on a day I’m dressed […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: The Power of a Project Charter
Your project team, task force, or committee got off to a fast and enthusiastic start but lately, it’s struggling to make progress. For every step forward it feels like the team takes three steps backward. You keep hitting bottlenecks and having to revisit decisions you thought were made. Team members are becoming frustrated with one […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: Empathy: Mastering the Vocabulary of Emotions and Needs
In last week’s blog, I explored the role of empathy in building a culture of candor on a team. I define empathy as the capacity to understand and acknowledge others’ feelings and needs. Over the years I’ve noticed that one barrier, particularly for men, is that we don’t always have a great vocabulary for feelings […]
ON MY MIND: Courageous Listening Opens the Door to Candor
In last week’s blog, I wrote about what it means to foster a team culture of respectful, real-time candor in contrast to one of inauthentic niceness. It’s easy to conclude that candor is all about speaking the truth. But the key to building a culture of candor is in how we listen. Teams in which […]
ON MY MIND: The End of Niceness: Building a Culture of Candor
There is a problem with your team. It’s niceness. I’m not referring to treating people with civility and kindness. I’m referring to an inauthentic politeness that involves withholding important critical feedback and avoiding difficult conversations. Niceness in the way I’ve defined it above gets in the way of your team’s learning, improving, and building true […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite them All
A CEO recently said to me: “Leading my company these days feels like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube, blindfolded while on a roller coaster.” He was talking about the disorienting pace of change, the inability to predict what will happen next, and the complexity of the landscape in which our organizations operate. I sent […]
ON MY MIND: Saying “Nice Job” Isn’t Enough
Great leaders understand that they can never give enough recognition as long as it is honest and deserved. For many employees, the right kind of recognition is as valued as monetary rewards. But too often leaders make these errors: The throw-away thank you – Delivering a quick (and superficial) “hey thanks for that” without describing […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: Picture Card Decks
Using picture card decks in my work has made me a believer in the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I have seen how visual images can elicit new insights, invite people to tap into their emotional selves, and reveal previously hidden aspirations. That’s why I always travel with a deck of […]
ON MY MIND, A 3-PART SERIES- PART 3: Four Mental Hijackers
In Part 1 of this series, I introduced four “mental hijackers” that undermine our efficacy as leaders. The second blog examined two of those hijackers- worry and regret- and how to overcome them. Now let’s look more closely at the other two mental hijackers – resentment and resignation. Both of these hijackers tend to show […]