Posts Tagged ‘leadership development’
Find Your Path
The vast majority of my career has been spent being developed to lead others, leading others, or developing others to lead. Throughout much of that time, we would be led down a fairly prescriptive path. To be a leader, you’d have to have this experience, go to this course, take this job, etc. There was…
Read MoreAre Great Leaders Born or Made?
If you want to be a doctor, it takes over a decade. You can’t wake up one morning and decide to do surgery. You can’t do an “accelerated track” for “high potential medical students” and get up to speed in a couple years. You need four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, and…
Read MoreSmart Leaders Master Two Amazingly Important Skills
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with clients across a variety of industries and locations around the world. Whether I am working with a professional services firm in Malaysia, a manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom, or a healthcare business in the United States, I’ve noticed that the top performers master two…
Read MoreWSJ Reports Strong Economy – Don’t Let This 1 Thing Hold You Back
The headlines in today’s Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reveal a strong economic picture. Here are just a few: Tech Stocks Lead the Way After Dow 26,000 US Jobless Claims Fell Last Week to Near 45-Year Low German Economic Growth Hits 6-Year High China’s Economic Growth at 6.9%: In 2017, the State Struck Back Of course,…
Read MoreHow a Young Infantry Platoon Leader Found Himself Up $#!^ Creek
Years ago, I was a young infantry platoon leader in the U.S. Army. At the age of 22, the vast majority of my team members were older – some by two decades – and more experienced than me. One day, my platoon was conducting a training exercise where we were patrolling in “enemy territory”. At…
Read MoreKeep Things in Perspective – An Essential New Leader Mindset
New leaders can get easily lost in the moment and fail to understand the bigger picture. Perspective matters. Being new in the role, the leader might not realize the cyclical nature of the business or the importance of certain elements. What appears trivial at first blush may prove essential in the long run. Wisdom often comes…
Read MoreEngage People – An Essential Mindset of New Leaders
It seems obvious. A new leader is given a team of smart people who have been hired because of their abilities and potential. Of course, the new leader will engage them in helping make decisions. Obvious or not, new leaders – or leaders at any level – struggle with embracing and engaging others. Whether it…
Read MoreEarn Respect – A Key New Leader Mindset
As a leader, formal authority will only get you so far. People may do what you tell them because you’re the leader, but they will likely not give their best. As the expression goes, you can buy someone’s back and hands, but you can’t buy their head and heart. Heads and hearts are earned when…
Read MoreRemain Fair and Consistent – A Key New Leader Mindset
As a new leader it is critical to remain fair and consistent. This can be tough as a new leader can quickly find himself under pressure to help a friend, bend the rules, or make just one exception. People who were once his peers now report to him. Handling the change in the relationship can…
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