Business Leadership
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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Read MoreThe 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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Read MoreA Key Leadership Question: Are We Having Fun?
Bill Hybels, in his excellent book, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs, reminds me again: people should enjoy their jobs as much as they are good at their jobs. When I do a reality check with my management team and ask them how they are doing, I look should be looking for two things:
- Is the mission being accomplished?
- Are they enjoying their job?
If the mission is being accomplished but they are not enjoying their job,
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Read MoreLeadership: Measure Twice, Cut Once
Before our daughter was born, I spent several years making furniture as a hobby. I would typically build one project a year: an armoire, a headboard, a cabinet, etc. I learned a lot about woodworking doing those projects, and also at least one vital lesson about leadership.
The way I got into woodworking was through a local community college. A friend of mine told me about a night class he took each fall that really only consisted of having access to a local high school’s very nice woodworking shop,
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Read MoreLeadership Reciprocity
Leadership Reciprocity may be a mouthful of a phrase. But it is a profoundly elegant principle.
First of all, let’s look at the Principle of Reciprocity itself. This principle means that when you do something in someone else’s best interest, they feel a sense of obligation to reciprocate. Robert Cialdini writes about this in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. In this best-selling book, Cialdini cites reciprocity as one of six foundational principles of influence.
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Read MoreLeadership Minute Video: Leaders should say "No" most of the time
"Thought Leadership" is oftentimes not
“Thought Leadership” is used far too often these days. Sorry for the negativity of the following blog, but I’ve got to get it off my chest.
For business consultants and professional speakers, “I’m a thought leader” is similar to saying “I’m proud of my humility.” You and I don’t get to call ourselves thought leaders. That is a label that can only be attached to us by others.
According to Wikipedia (perhaps the internet’s most-cited thought-leader!),
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Read MoreLeadership Minute Video: the chief of what?
Leadership Minute Video: Patti DeNucci
Leadership of self is the most important leadership . . . and the hardest. Here are 3 thoughts to keep in mind.
Who’s your most difficult leadership challenge? If you are honest and have at least a degree of self-awareness, you will join every good leader in realizing the most challenging leadership challenge you face is the one in the mirror.
Self-deception. Taking short-cuts. Being inconsistent. Holding others accountable when you don’t hold yourself accountable. Placing blame. Being clueless about the real issues.
Call it what you want: your biggest leadership challenge is yourself.
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