This week, I want to touch on a big role of leaders, which is the importance of getting to know their people. When I was getting my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, one of the required classes was … Read More
Last week, I gave one of my couples “homework” to complete by their appointment this week. I handed them a piece of paper with a list of fifty or so open-ended questions, and I said, “Ask each other these questions … Read More
Some people push back when you ask them to take a positive approach in their leadership. They equate positivity with being nice, but being kind is deeper than empty hype like, “Good job” or “Nice work” or “Super!” You can’t … Read More
Star Wars nerds everywhere are scrolling to the bottom of this post to let me know I got the quote wrong. But, if you give me a few minutes, I will explain. Yes, the quote is wrong in the sense … Read More
You will need a piece of paper or a Post-It note for this blog. On that paper, write down an answer to one of these questions: What is your most troubling current issue? What is one task on your list … Read More
The essence of servant leadership is to meet the needs of your organization and your people. But arrogance creeps in when you assume you’ve got it figured out. Because you’re the leader. You ought to know. Peter Block calls this … Read More
Typically applied to human biology and exercise, the Adaptation Principle is the body’s way of adjusting to increased or decreased physical demands to remain in homeostasis. Applied to life circumstances and work, the Adaptation Principle says that when human beings … Read More
I used to espouse this as a general rule: Successful leaders avoid saying “I,” “me,” and “myself” when offering thoughts and assigning tasks. Using team-oriented “we” language keeps the focus on others instead of the leader. However… I’ve revised my … Read More
Jim, the principal at my first teaching job, often said, “Most days, we have fun around here.” He said this to me at my job interview and followed it with “…and you can’t say that about most jobs.” I accepted … Read More
We are at our best when we feel in control of our fate. In other words, when we have a sense of autonomy, we are more likely to make better choices and take ownership of those choices. Additionally, we inspire … Read More