Articles/Blog
What’s kicking your ass?
If you feel like your team is dysfunctional, uncooperative, toxic or broken, you’re not alone. Most corporate teams are not really teams; they are groups of people who show up Monday through Friday, work 8-9 hours a day, claim to be working towards a common goal, and say they want the same thing for the…
There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’
We’ve all heard the axiom before. Usually it’s in the context of reminding someone they are too focused on their own interests and not focused enough on the team. Sometimes it’s declared as a preemptive strike against the fear of lack of compliance to the agenda or team’s mission. Sometimes, it’s ensuring that the “cowboys”…
Be a Chameleon
I remember reading once that it is useful – if not necessary – to be chameleon-like in order to create rapport and to be effective in interacting with others. I had a tough time swallowing this advice, and in fact, I was offended recently when a client referred to me as chameleon-like. I didn’t take…
Seven Simple Leadership Lessons
The seven simple leadership lessons I was reminded of by 41 client leaders this past week: Rapport isn’t rocket science. All it takes is for one face-to-face interaction to really shift (for the better!) a relationship that’s been solely built by telephone and email. Influence isn’t just a topic underneath the heading of Leadership; it…
Right People – Right Seats, pt II
In my last blog post, I revisited the analogy shared by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great,” where he suggests that we need to get the right people on the right seats of the bus. In this blog post, I will focus on the book “Get a Grip,” by Gino Wickman and Mike…
Distractions
Recently in a leadership coaching session, a client asked, “What is the secret to staying focused and not being distracted by the next shiny object or new idea?” This question comes up often, and my first instinct is to blame technology or the urgency addicted society that we are immersed in, which is enabled by…
What Are Your Rituals?
When I ask a new client, “What gets you back to your center?” most responses have something to do with church, time with family, working out, a hobby, or spending time outdoors. What I enjoy most is not necessarily what they do; rather, it’s how they say what they do. When a client says something…
Right People – Right Seats, pt 1
Right People – Right Seats: This post is the first of two related posts. Here we’ll take on the “Right People” and in my next post, we’ll discuss “The Right Seats.” Part I: Right People The title of this post may remind you of one of the more widely known analogies of getting the right…
The Language of Leadership
Years ago, Gary Chapman wrote a bestselling book titled “The Five Love Languages,” in which he described the various ways people prefer to be spoken to in order to feel loved. It was a great book for people interested in making true connection and strengthening relationships, and just as there are certain languages for love, there…
Listening – A New Approach
This week I heard something that both intrigues me and challenges me. A colleague shared something from a book she’s reading, in which the author suggests four “don’ts” when communicating with others. We’ll call it a listening approach, although it may be more accurately labeled a talking approach. Here it is: No fixing No saving…