Delegation is one of the most important skills for leaders to master. That's right, it's a skill. If you don't get this first question right from the outset, your efforts at delegating could be doomed to fail. https://youtu.be/pfxlM9in1gE?rel=0&showinfo=0 Tweet it out: Do you know why you are delegating? The wrong answer will lead to terrible results. (Hint, it isn't … [Read more...]
What is Your Leadership Contribution?
I’m a big fan of questions, both reflective and projective questions, to help us learn, grow, plan and succeed. Here is a question stem I conduct for myself and one I encourage leaders at all levels to conduct on a regular basis. It starts with the simple question: What is my contribution? This question stem leads to some useful questions for us to consider as leaders. … [Read more...]
Don’t Blame the Last Guy
This is a guest post from Pam Fox Rollin. You would never stoop to blame. Or would you? You're going to be tempted Especially if the person who last had the job was let go, demoted, or otherwise removed, you'll be tempted. But even if the last guy was elevated to his/her next walk-on-water job, you're still going to be tempted to blame him for your team's … [Read more...]
Want Employees to Love What They Do? Here Are 4 Ways to Get There
Insights from Shawn Burcham, author of Keeping Score with GRITT: Straight Talk Strategies for Success Bosses might want to take notice if employees view their jobs as “the daily grind.” A disgruntled and disengaged workforce can undermine production and harm customer relations, while a happy, engaged workforce does the opposite. “If you take care of your employees, they … [Read more...]
3 Leadership Tips You Can Probably Forget
We're in the business of offering leadership and workplace advice, but even we can admit some advice runs its course. The times change, making that once sage advice obsolete. Or it just doesn't fit the same situations it once did. It's safe to say that there is always a chance the advice will be relevant again, but for right now, here are three nuggets you can forget. Don’t … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Set the BEST Example for Employees
To lead someone or something means, literally, to be in front, so that others can see and follow in that direction. Stated another way, if you think you are leading, but no one is following, you are just taking a walk. In yet other words, leaders are leaders because of what they do, not because of a position they hold or the title printed on their business cards. This idea is … [Read more...]
The Most Challenging Issue Companies Are Facing Right Now
This is a guest post by by Stephan Schiffman and Gary M. Krebs. I don’t mean to frighten you, but I am about to alert you to a dire circumstance many companies are dealing with right now: turnover. Today’s generation does not have the same long-term commitment to the company as past employees did. They are impatient with achieving career goals and are cavalier about … [Read more...]
Take Accountability for Your Mistakes
Leaders often lament about the lack of accountability in employees. We write about it on this blog often. After all, it's critical that employees take responsibility when they fail, rather than point fingers or place blame on others. But how about when you mess up and it hurts the team? Do you own your mistakes? Or immediately find a way to shift the blame to someone else? … [Read more...]
Thomas Jefferson on Keeping a Cool Head
We'll just leave this here: Things can—and will—go wrong in every job, but when you’re responsible for the success of others, the opportunity for problems rises significantly. It’s not avoiding problems that makes you an excellent manager, but rather how you respond to the glitches, delays and disasters. Leaders who keep their composure when things go bad, who remain calm … [Read more...]
Good Management CREATES Good Employees
This is a guest article by Charlyne Meinhard. You can hire the right employees, but if you don’t manage them well, those good employees may wind up messing up, rather than stepping up. Consider this scenario: Jen and Tim are managers of two totally different functions within Mid-Road Company, but they share the same frustrations about their employees. “You won’t … [Read more...]