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The Problem Of Micromanagement

Good leaders understand at the end of the day, they are accountable for their business.

Good leaders also understand that to grow a successful business, they can’t do it all. We need the skills and talents of others. That means trusting the people to whom we delegate responsibility.

What happens when we delegate, but don’t trust?

It’s called micromanagement.

After years in corporate food services management, “Beth” took early retirement and bought a franchise business in the restaurant industry.

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Leadership Hyperopia: the good and bad of it

Leadership and Farsightedness.

According to the American Optometric Association, “Farsightedness, or hyperopia, as it is medically termed, is a vision condition in which distant objects can be seen clearly, but close ones do not come into proper focus.”

I’ve been told I think big-picture. While I don’t consider myself a natural-born visionary, I like to think in broad swaths.  What could be possible?  What are the big implications if we could?  

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Dan Allender on Leadership Vulnerability

“. . . to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues.”

“. . . to the degree you attempt to hide or dissemble your weaknesses, the more you will need to control those you lead, the more insecure you will become, and the more rigidity you will impose — prompting the ultimate departure of your best people.”

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Leadership Focus, Karin & the Multitasking Myth

I disagree with Karin. I have for five years. And I’m hoping to win her over. Let me explain why I think this is important for my leadership effectiveness and hers.

As our business expanded five years ago, my wife and I realized that day-to-day operations were growing beyond our abilities. We are both great “starters.” Vision, energy, creating-something-out-of-nothing, putting it all on the line to make something happen: in hindsight, that’s what we did.

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Leadership Abdication

Who’s in charge?  This is a huge leadership question.   While it would seem to have a simple answer – the leader is – too often simple isn’t easy.

Leaders are too often guilty of trying to be consensus-builders instead of leaders. Or politicians instead of leaders. Or hand-wringers instead of leaders. Or one of my greatest fears, leadership abdication: a leader acting as a constituency-pleaser instead of a leader.

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The Leadership Six: 6 numbers that need to be front-of-mind for every good leader

Here are the most important Leadership Numbers we need to remember: 1-3-5 and 2-4-6.  Depending on the level of your leadership investment, there are two other numbers that may be important to you: 5 and 10.  More about those leadership numbers in a minute.  But first, the first three leadership numbers:

1-3-5

The first three numbers represent weeks.  A good leader is purposeful about the now and the very near future.

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