Leaders know that it’s important to show appreciation, maintain optimism, and attend to rituals and traditions. These can inspire and motivate. But consider the element of surprise and novelty. That works even better. While everyone appreciates “jeans on Friday”, there … Read More
One of the toughest calls that a positive, needs-meeting leader must confront is when and how to give a second chance when someone goofs something up. And I choose that phrase “goof something up” deliberately; there are no second chances … Read More
Last week, I wrote about shame having no place in effective leadership. Shame is a destructive discomfort. But, other discomforts can have a lot of value. We only grow when we are uncomfortable. Leaders not only make sure the work gets … Read More
Good leaders never use shame or public demeaning as a leadership tool. Discomfort, yes. New situations, a bit of a comfort zone stretch, some natural consequences to actions, sure. But shame – to make someone feel guilty as a motivator to change – will … Read More
Some leaders are open and transparent with others, and some are more private. But if that privacy is segregating their personal life and history to such an extent that their team feels like they don’t know them, then that leader is at a disadvantage. Leaders … Read More
Recently, when covering the Four Levels of Maturity, we were on a quest to find an essential question that a person would ask at each level. Recall, the first two levels are somtimes referred to as acting “‘below the line”, … Read More
Perhaps this seems like a tangential post, but there is an overall relationship to the concept of “Leaders Meet Needs” here. When you travel on business, travel and pack in such a way as to maximize your ability to meet needs … Read More
Sometimes (especially in election years), a participant in a leadership workshop asks the question, “How does this content relate to political leaders?” I used to try to find some correlation — to point out that my definition of leadership, “meet … Read More
We’ve explored the idea of the Success Deception before; how our success can keep us from exploring growth opportunities. Well, there’s another danger related to that idea. It comes when we stop learning from those we serve. This happens when we … Read More
Here is a thought for those who serve youth, young adults, and people new to your organization: Resist the temptation to shield them from “bad influences.” We often work hard to be great role models, and expose those we serve … Read More