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Trust
Trust is one of the most important indicators of organizational success. It is also one of the least-developed faculties in the business world. Distrust abounds in many organizations. An executive lacks faith in their manager’s ability to take on a bigger responsibility; workers on the shop floor don’t believe in the strategy the higher-ups are…
How (and Why) to Delegate Effectively
Delegation is an essential skill, both in leadership and everyday life. We all need to reach out periodically and ask for help. But it’s not always easy to do, for both social and psychological reasons. Let’s discuss the benefits of effective delegation, and try to remove some of the mental roadblocks that prevent us from…
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…
Stop Sending Surveys
I was recently informed of a safety recall on my car. Four weeks have passed without a fix or further instructions. But after each fruitless visit to the dealership, I’ve received an auto-generated email asking me to fill out a feedback survey to let them know how they’re doing. Now, I’m always eager to provide…
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….
Work-Life Integration
I have been studying energy and time management for more years than I care to admit. For most of that period I was focused on finding work/life balance. It’s a logical goal to strive for: just enough work, and just enough life. If you get the proportions right, it’s smooth sailing. But a few years…
Balancing Confidence and Humility
In the realm of professional leadership, there exists an essential but delicate art: the balancing of confidence and humility. These crucial qualities are present in everyone, but each leader exhibits them in different proportions. Picture a leader who exudes unwavering self-assurance while maintaining an open mind, receptive to the insights of others. This leader has…
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…
The 3 M’s – Melt, Mold, and Move
About 15 years ago, Jay Morgan, my good friend and personal trainer, told me about the 3 Ms: melt, mold, and move. He learned this concept from one of his mentors, Gary Gray of the Gray Institute. Jay is a wizard when it comes to designing workout routines, but his true genius is in the…