As your leader, your job is about so much more than checking tasks off a to-do list and telling your staff what to do. You have the power to make a real difference in the business and in the lives of your employees. You need to always be thinking about the big picture and how you can move the team and organization forward. You need to come up with ways to make things run … [Read more...]
Coaching Success … In 10 Sentences
Coaching is one of your most important roles. When you do it well, it can also be one of the most gratifying parts of being a leader. While I have long shared insights and helped others learn to be better coaches, I wanted to see if I could summarize the essence of coaching success into seven sentences. I didn’t succeed. Instead, below you will find ten "rules," that if you … [Read more...]
Negative Vs. Positive Leadership (and Why You Should Choose the Latter)
If you're a leader, best-selling author Jon Gordon wants you to take this message to heart: Spreading negative energy solves nothing. In fact, it causes people to shut down. Morale suffers, employees disengage, productivity takes a hit, and profits fall. "It's easy to get upset and derailed by anger when things go wrong, but then the issue gets lost because you mismanaged … [Read more...]
Are You An Arrogant Boss? Here’s How To Tell
It’s one thing to be proud of your successes and promotions; it’s quite another to allow that pride to morph into arrogance. Reflect on your attitudes and actions, and identify whether the following statements are True or False: I behave toward my subordinates very differently than I do toward my superiors. If forced to choose, I’d rather make myself look good … [Read more...]
3 Leadership Tips for Creating a Customer-First Workplace
Even if your team doesn't directly serve customers (think customer service and sales), you should still adopt a customer-first attitude. More important, however, is that you should remove the obstacles that allow your employees to truly serve your customers, says customer strategist and executive coach Robin Lawton, author of Mastering Excellence: A Leader’s Guide to Aligning, … [Read more...]
5 Really Good Reasons for You to Relax This Long Weekend
The long Memorial Day weekend is upon us, so it's a great time to remind you why you should make time to relax and have fun. You have a lot on your plate. You have lots to think about, lots to do and lots to decide. Still, you will be so much more successful if you unplug and take a breather every once in a while (starting this weekend). However, before the sheer thought of … [Read more...]
Don’t Let Rotten Attitudes Bring You Down
Attitude is contagious. One upbeat, positive person can change the vibe of the whole room. The same can be said for one negative person. In situations where multiple people are allowed to spread their negativity all over, the workplace can become downright toxic. If you find yourself regularly coming into contact with people who have bad attitudes, take these steps to avoid … [Read more...]
3 Leadership Mistakes That Make You Look Really Immature
Young supervisors face their own unique set of challenges. One of them, however, is often self-imposed: Some bosses are perceived as immature not because they are young, but because they act young. Eliminate these three immature behaviors to garner more respect from your employees, co-workers and boss: Blowing up at your team. Toddlers have tantrums; managers should … [Read more...]
5 Core Practices of the Best Leaders
Regardless your age, industry, background or level within the organization, if you want to be a truly great leader, there are five core principles that will guide you to be your very best, according to Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, who have just released the sixth edition of their bestseller The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in … [Read more...]
The Qualities of a Strong Leader: Deep Insight From a Long-Time Military Leader
In this new interview series, we'll share insight from leaders who have been there, done that and lived to tell the tale. First up, we hear from Bob Mason, whose 30-year military career taught him the ins and outs of being a strong leader. Starting with a small team at the young age of 19, he honed his skills leading ever larger and more complex teams, eventually commanding … [Read more...]