Although it’s now widely accepted that emotional intelligence (EI) is vital for managers, people still tend to assume that two of the most fundamental EI … Read more
What Toys R Us Teaches Us About Leadership Cultivation
The demise of Toys R Us — the toy store that captivated every elementary schoolkid’s daydreams — was ultimately just another illustration of management … Read more
Competence Isn’t Enough. You Need Champions and Maybe a Little Narcissism
Do you work closely with executives? If you do, you’ve probably run into a few surprising aspects to leadership that don’t get talked about … Read more
The 21st Century Way to Getting Your People to Do Great Work
Leading is like parenting — everybody thinks they do a much better job than they actually do. There’s a definite gap between how most executives assess … Read more
Put Away the Phone. Leave the Office and Start Meeting the People Who Do the Work
Note: The following is an excerpt from the author’s new book, When Leadership Improves, Everyone Wins. Realize that as leaders, we are signal … Read more
Great Leaders Know When to Ask for Help and How to Do It
Do you ask for help when you need it? Do you wait until the very last minute? Would you prefer to suffer and go it alone rather than reach out to others … Read more
Safe-to-Try: A Way of Making Tough Decisions
Stuck making a decision? You are not alone. Making decisions makes most people afraid. Even leaders fear the consequences of making the wrong call. Either … Read more
Leadership Lessons from the Golden State Warriors Locker Room
On June 8th, the Golden State Warriors basketball team won its second consecutive National Basketball Association championship. Observers agree that the … Read more
Fail Fast and Take the Heat Out of Failure
I recently met with a client responsible for organizational development in the financial services sector who was seeking ideas, information, and input from … Read more
Do You See the Invisible People?
During my flight home yesterday evening, I made an effort to acknowledge the work of an amazing flight attendant. “You’re incredibly good at … Read more
Don’t Be a Clueless CEO
“Please, I need separate checks for our meal.” That caused me to look up from my menu because I had never heard that before. Our normal routine is that he … Read more
Where Did We Go Wrong with Leadership Development?
Most of us seem to intuitively understand the connection between leadership and success, because collectively we invest a lot of time and money in … Read more
None of Us Are Rational, So Smart Leadership Means Learning to Deal With Emotions
Emotions drive behavior in the office, often much more than we’re aware of. To be more effective leaders, we need to become more attuned to our own … Read more
Emotional Intelligence Is Not Just For Leaders
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) isn’t something that can be easily taught or trained, which is why it’s such a vital competency for the employees within your … Read more
What Does a Great Leader Look Like? Here’s a Checklist
In the current economy, leaders and executives often forget that their leadership objective is not only to manage the company processes, or to supervise … Read more
Beware the Myth of the Super Leader
“We will all learn together. I want to learn from you as well as you learn from me.” This, from a new CHRO who sits on the executive committee for a global … Read more
For the Good of the Organization You Need to Be a Little Machiavellian
In our workplaces, as in society at large, we try hard to create open, transparent, meritocratic structures. Our increasing success can blind us to some … Read more
Are You the Leader They’ll Thank On Your Last Day?
“This is when you know that you have achieved something important by creating an amazing team and they thank you like this on your last day.” That was a … Read more
Will Anyone Contribute Toward Your Gift?
“No one wanted to contribute to her holiday gift.” The assistant manager told me that during the holidays, it is customary of all employees of the retail … Read more
6 Ways Real Leaders Turn Insincerity Into Inspiration
The biggest barrier between leaders and followers is distrust. And the window dressing for distrust is insincerity. People put up with a lot of quirks in … Read more