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Bill Berthel
Polarity Management
Polarity management theory is a model for managing two forces that are opposite, yet interdependent. When faced with two antipodal options, we often focus on the opposition, and may fail entirely to notice that the forces depend on each other. Think, for example, of breathing. Breathing is a complex biological process, but it can be…
Reset Yourself
During a meeting with local health leaders, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: compassion fatigue. Burnout is common in healthcare, and the pandemic added untold stress to health workers around the world. But in addition to facing long hours and near-daily traumas, doctors and nurses are also expected to show empathy and compassion to millions of…
The Most Important Question
“What is the most important question a leader can ask?” I get this question often from my clients, and I always tell them that they basically just asked it! Put more generally, the best question a leader can ask is also the simplest: “What do you think?” This question is basically an invitation to contribute….
The Pitfalls of the Peter Principle
Recently, I found myself engaged in a conversation with a small group of friends on a perennial topic: incompetent bosses. When one of my friends wondered aloud how unqualified people end up in high-level positions, another replied, “That’s the Peter Principle for you!” The Peter Principle was first identified by Dr. Laurence J. Peter, a…
Too Much Brain
I recently heard a stand-up comedian claim that his brain is a jerk. He said his brain has all it needs to make him feel good—the happy hormones and electric neurons, the synapses and lobes and cortices—but it doesn’t function as advertised. It makes him think dark thoughts and worry about everything. It makes him…
Even Leaders Have Off Days
To be clear, I’m not talking about a hard day, I’m talking about an off day. The kind of day when you feel guilty about feeling bad because nothing particularly bad has happened. It seemed that everything I did and everything I said was missing the mark. I wasn’t falling on my face, but I…
People Don’t Want To Work
My vehicle was at the service department for a minor manufacturer recall so I took the opportunity to ask the technician to look at a separate issue that I was concerned about. The separate issue was taken seriously and looked at. It turned out to be a larger issue than I was entertaining, and the…
Can Leaders Be Friends?
A good friend once told me that she’s a good friend because she can openly disagree, share a different perspective and not polarize or alienate me in the process. I married that woman and she’s been my best friend for many, many years. Upon reflection, it seems that life would be so much easier if…
Together We Stand (and yell)
For my regular readers, you know I am interested in and sometimes write about human motivation as it relates to leadership. An understanding of what motivates us and why we choose to lead (and conduct many other activities and behaviors) can assist us in developing and improving. Underneath that interest in motives is simply a…
Not Another Resolution
Like many people, I need to be inspired to make a change in my life. Sometimes the change is a pain I want to avoid or remedy, and often it is something I want to improve. I am something of an inspiration junkie, so I make change best when I am inspired by something or…