“I found my success when I became who I am. And that’s hard.” “I became comfortable with just being Kate. And that enabled me to have more candid, more … Read more
Make Sure the Next Person You Promote Is an ‘Asset Builder’
“You’re like a dictator dolling out tasks.” — Bill Campbell to Jonathan Rosenberg. “I was surprised when Jonathan Rosenberg, former senior executive … Read more
What Wolves Teach Us About Leadership and Teamwork
As time goes by, our understanding of what makes a great leader evolves. New performance management trends develop, our understanding of human motivation … Read more
Why Is Leadership Development a ‘Program’?
As summer began, the (Cincinnati) HR Roundtable met to discuss a topic that is so often a formal program within organizations when it could be done more … Read more
Are You Still Passionate About What You Do?
If you love what you’re doing, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. I’m continually amazed at the number of leaders who don’t like or enjoy what … Read more
The Employees First Approach Of a Billionaire Yogurt Maker
“If you’re right with your people, if you’re right with your community, if you’re right with your product, you’ll be more … Read more
Psychologically Safe Cultures Need Courageous Leaders
During a sales meeting, an eager, young employee shared an idea. Two seasoned sales representatives looked at each other and snickered. In many … Read more
Wander Around and Discover If They Know the Mission
The heartwarming movie, Hidden Figures, reveals the overlooked and crucial contributions from a pivotal moment in American history. Through historical … Read more
Here’s How Real Leaders Own Their Mistakes
Being human means making mistakes. And being a leader means owning them. The weak defend mistakes, deny them, or distort them so that it looks as though … Read more
Intellectual Humility Can Make You a Better Leader
Our ignorance is invisible to us, not to others. We tend to overestimate how much we know — especially when it comes to something close to our reputation. … Read more
AI Won’t Make You Successful. Great Managers Will
“As you read this book, keep in mind that the quality of your manager and team leaders is the single biggest factors in your organization’s success.” … Read more
5 Steps to Building a FALO
Our world of unpredictable and uncontrollable change presents a huge leadership challenge. How can we survive and even thrive when our environment turns … Read more
The Critical Role of Trust In Avoiding a “Charge of the Light Brigade”
The importance of leadership trust increases as the pace of change accelerates. Leaders in hyper-competitive and turbulent business environments need … Read more
If They Weren’t Afraid, Here’s What Employees Would Tell the Boss
“What would you like to tell your boss but are afraid to share?” A simple question can turn silence into insights. There are a lot of things that employees … Read more
The Leadership Example of a Community Chorus
According to leading business research firm McKinsey, organizations spend $14 billion annually on leadership development. In this 2014 article titled “Why … Read more
Self-Reflection Is the Antidote For a Leader’s Declining EQ
“To move forward glance backwards” As I read that quote, I said yes, I can dig it. Quotes, if powerful, always cause me to reflect. Reflection is a … Read more
How You Can Lead From the Middle
Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” – John D. Rockefeller, American business magnate. Average gets a … Read more
Is That Sucking Sound You Killing Engagement?
I started reading An Everyone Culture recently and came across a personal story that blew me away. The book follows three true learning organizations, and … Read more
When the CEO is Toxic, Vaccinate, Isolate and Validate
We’ve all had lousy bosses – and we’ve had some really good bosses, as well. In my non-profit executive days I had some great bosses – and one … Read more
The Two Most Powerful Leadership Phrases
Thought for the day: “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.” Leadership lesson 101: The two most powerful phrases of any leader … Read more