ON MY MIND: The Art of Self-Repair
Recently, I discovered Kintsugi, a fifteenth century Japanese art form dedicated to repairing broken ceramics by filling in the cracks with gold. Once the repair is complete, the “brokenness” of the item — its defects — become its source of beauty and resilience. What if the trials and challenges we face in life were simply […]
ON MY MIND: Leading is Convening
“I-don’t-know.” These are three words that most leaders rarely, if ever, dare utter. Why does the admission of “not knowing” feel so uncomfortable? As a client once shared with me, “A failure to know the answer or offer the solution feels like a failure of my leadership. That’s my job!” I disagree. Always knowing the […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How We Fix It By M. Tamra Chandler with Laura Dowling Grealish
Everywhere we look in organizational life there is evidence that feedback is a source of fear and anxiety, both for the people on the receiving end and for those delivering it. It’s time to “fix” feedback. Too often feedback is: Non-existent: Feedback is simply avoided through an unspoken “don’t ask for it, don’t give it” […]
ON MY MIND: Masks, Light, and Leadership
I recently facilitated a workshop at the Encuentro Internacional de Equipos de Trabajo —an amazing international conference on best practices and innovations in workplace collaboration. My workshop was called: Taking Off Our Masks to Unleash the Power of Authenticity on Your Team. These are the words I used to open the workshop: “People are like […]
ON MY MIND: Saying a Skillful “No”
What makes saying “no” so difficult? First, we all have these archetypal saboteurs that run like tape recordings in our heads. Some of the saboteurs that make saying “no” most difficult include: The pleaser who believes “people won’t like or value me if I don’t meet their needs by saying ‘yes.’” The hyper-achiever who believes […]
ON MY MIND: Retreats that Make a Difference (Part 3)
re*treat. (verb) withdraw to a quiet or secluded place. (noun) a designated time of seclusion from routine activities to gain clarity and/or renewal. When planning a retreat, when does it make sense to bring in an experienced facilitator? Groups can often self-facilitate. However, engaging an outside facilitator is particularly beneficial in situations where the retreat […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: The Unheroic Work by Michelle Hogan
When I first met Michelle Hogan over 25 years ago the first thing I noticed about her was her Australian accent. The second thing I noticed was that she talked about brand like nobody else I’d ever met. She said to me, “Larry, forget about your company’s name, logo, and tagline. Your brand is all […]
ON MY MIND: What Do You Stand For?
“Core values are the timeless ideals that require no external justification.” -Jim Collins For leaders and organizations, core values define what it means to operate with integrity. In my book, Standing in the Fire, I define “knowing what you stand for” as having clarity about and commitment to one’s core values. Core values are distinct […]
ON MY MIND: Leaders, We Can Be Kinder to Ourselves
You won’t be surprised to know that I’m my harshest critic. Often, when I return from a high-stakes client meeting a family member or colleague will ask: “How did it go?” Usually, my answer is something like: “The client was blown away by how well it went…I give myself a B.” Then I list all […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: The Team Check-in
Most high performing teams run fast and furious. Moving at that kind of pace we often walk into our meetings and jump right into the agenda. While hitting the ground running may feel productive, something gets lost: We fail to look up from our devices and to-do lists, even if for a moment, to see […]