Just because you know everything is going well doesn’t mean everyone else does. That’s something I had to learn during my leadership career. I can remember times when I was working on a project, everything was moving along as expected, and I felt pretty good about where things stood. The work was getting done. WeContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #23 – Transparency Creates Confidence”
Tag Archives: business
Leadership Lesson #22 – Difficult Conversations Build Strong Organizations
A difficult conversation today can prevent a much bigger problem tomorrow. Have you ever known you needed to have a conversation with someone but kept finding reasons to put it off? I think we’ve all been there. Maybe you’ve got an employee who’s not meeting expectations. Maybe two people on your team aren’t getting along.Continue reading “Leadership Lesson #22 – Difficult Conversations Build Strong Organizations”
Leadership Brief #4
A brief summary of these 5 Leadership Lessons.
Leadership Lesson #19 – Every Employee Deserves a Growth Plan
The goal should be to help every employee be more capable than they are today. One of the questions employees eventually ask themselves is: “What is next for me?” Sometimes they ask it after six months – Sometimes after several years. But sooner or later, most people begin thinking about where they are going, whatContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #19 – Every Employee Deserves a Growth Plan”
Leadership Lesson #18 – Develop Strengths Before Fixing Weaknesses
Great leaders do not define people by their weaknesses. They help people grow by building on their strengths. For many years, the traditional approach to employee development has been fairly predictable. -Identify the gaps. -Find the weaknesses. -Create a plan to fix them. The logic seems reasonable. If someone has an area where they areContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #18 – Develop Strengths Before Fixing Weaknesses”
Leadership Lesson 17 – Feedback Is a Gift
The best feedback is not given to tear people down. It is given to help them grow. Most leaders understand that feedback is important. The challenge is that not all feedback is helpful, and not all leaders give it well. Over more than 40 years of leading, training, and developing people, I have seen feedbackContinue reading “Leadership Lesson 17 – Feedback Is a Gift”
Leadership Lesson #16 – Coach More Than You Correct
Great leaders don’t just correct performance. They develop people. One of the easiest things for a manager to do is identify what someone has done wrong. The order wasn’t completed correctly. A customer complaint wasn’t handled well. A deadline was missed. A procedure wasn’t followed. A goal wasn’t achieved. The manager sees the problem, tellsContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #16 – Coach More Than You Correct”
Leadership Lesson #15 – Teamwork Is Built Through Trust
Leaders cannot demand teamwork. They must create the conditions in which trust between team members can grow. A group of talented individuals does not automatically become a strong team. People may work in the same department, report to the same leader, attend the same meetings, and pursue the same organizational goals without truly working asContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #15 – Teamwork Is Built Through Trust”
Leadership Lesson #14: Recognition Fuels Performance
People want to know that their work matters. They want to know that their effort is noticed, their contribution is valued, and their performance makes a difference to the team and the organization. This does not mean employees need constant praise or expect recognition for every routine responsibility. Most people understand that performing the jobContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #14: Recognition Fuels Performance”
Leadership Lesson #13: Diversity of Thought Makes Better Teams
A team is not stronger simply because everyone agrees. A team in which everyone agrees may appear to be working well. Meetings are comfortable. Decisions are made quickly. Conflict is limited, and the leader’s ideas receive immediate support. But agreement is not always evidence of alignment or effective teamwork. Sometimes people agree because they genuinelyContinue reading “Leadership Lesson #13: Diversity of Thought Makes Better Teams”
