Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Unproductive meetings drive productive people nuts. If organizational culture is the way we treat each other while we work, Meetings are culture building activities. 10 reasons the meeting sucked: Bloviators.

How To 198

How To Productivity Products 198

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 7, 2016

Isolated leaders are the dumbest people in the building. A nameplate on the door and a title after your name doesn’t make you smarter than people with dirt under their fingernails.

Leadership Development 243

Leadership Development Development Management Leadership 243

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

If half-truths are lies, being nice makes us liars. The need to be nice is about: Preventing offense. Keeping the peace. Protecting status. Being liked. Being too nice often includes shading the truth.

Leadership Development 195

Leadership Development Development Leadership 195

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

Your most powerful tool of influence is a pair of caring ears. Today’s leadership challenge is the daily practice of caring engaged silence. Caring engaged silence: A caring heart is permission to lead.

Tools 194

Tools Influence Power How To 194

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 18, 2016

The deadly sin of tough conversations is going halfway. Discomfort causes some leaders to cut them short. Work up enough courage to dance with tough issues long enough to do some real good. Halfway makes matters worse: Pointing out a problem is helpful, but doesn’t solve it. Bringing up an issue doesn’t mean others understand it.

How To 194

How To Succession Leadership Development Development 194

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 21, 2016

The ability to delegate is the power to build a future bigger than yourself. 6 secrets wise leaders know about delegating: Wise leaders know that delegating includes people development and relationship building.

Delegation 193

Delegation Power Development Leadership Development 193

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Frustration with teams and organizations is the result of avoiding questions that many leaders don’t dare to ask. Successful leaders ask forward-facing questions that define a future distinct from the past.

How To 193

How To Succession Team Organization 193

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 17, 2016

What’s so inviting about seeing weakness in others? Leaders who see strength in others build doors in walls. From part 1: 12 ways to ignite and maximize growth in others #1. Speak directly to the heart. #2. Point out where people don’t serve themselves well. #3. Provide opportunity to reflect. #4. Come along side gently after failure.

Skills 192

Skills Leadership Development Development Leadership 192

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 27, 2016

Good judgement expands the future, but being judgmental: Wrecks relationships. Diminishes talent. De-motivates teammates. Disengages employees. The difference between good judgement and being judgmental is assumption. #1.

How To 192

How To Motivation 192

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 12, 2016

Unfocused busyness leads to meaningless contribution. You get so busy that you forget who you are and what you’re really trying to accomplish. The secret to meaningful busyness is direction and reflection.

How To 189

How To Leadership Development Development Leadership 189

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 8, 2016

“The chief object of education is not to learn things but to unlearn things.” G.K. Chesterton You can’t teach old dogs new tricks because unlearning is like breaking concrete with a toothpick.

Objective 234

Objective Education Succession Leadership Development 234

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Challenge people to do things they never thought they could do. #1. Relationship: Caring relationship is the environment of growth. Find things to like about the people around you.

How To 186

How To Environment Leadership Development Development 186

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Mitchell Warner’s observation that humble leaders are intensely curious about others makes me wonder why I’m not more humble. I’ve been called the ‘question man’ all my life.

Influence 186

Influence Leadership Leadership Development Development 186

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Everyone has priorities. For ineffective managers, it’s the next email, text, phone call, or person who walks through the door. Meaningful work requires a closed door.

How To 193

How To Management 193

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

New behaviors feel like showing up for dinner dressed like Micky Mouse. Frustration and disappointment are more comfortable than the discomfort of feeling inauthentic when you try on new leadership behaviors. People say, “Be yourself.

How To 188

How To Leadership Leadership Development Development 188

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 24, 2016

Robots do what they’re told, but people need a sense of power and control to be engaged. In traditional organizations management is about taking control, not giving it.

Power 192

Power Organization Management Books 192

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 9, 2016

The need for quick answers is the path to shallow solutions. The best thing to hear after asking penetrating questions is silence, especially your own. Courageous leaders dare to ask awkward questions.

How To 231

How To Leadership Development Development Leadership 231

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 26, 2016

When you screw up, someone didn’t follow through. When others screw up they procrastinated. It’s not if, but how you lie to yourself. You fail because of circumstances. Others fail because of character.* They lack initiative. They don’t have what it takes. The lies leaders tell themselves: Affirm themselves. Disaffirm others. Close minds.

Follow-up 187

Follow-up Leadership Development Development Leadership 187

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

I’ve been in some meetings that I couldn’t wait to end. I’ve led a few myself. Five things that make nearly any meeting great: #1. Kind candor and courageous transparency abound.

Succession 185

Succession Leadership Development Development Leadership 185

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 13, 2016

Ego’s cry is, “What about me?” Who will listen to you, if you become a leader who makes others feel they matter? Ego Leaders with big egos overestimate their abilities.

Leadership Development 191

Leadership Development Development Leadership 191

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 15, 2016

The things you do alone, with few exceptions, are not leadership. Busyness doesn’t make you a leader, even though leaders work hard. Not a leader: Sign papers in your office.

Project 187

Project Leadership Succession Leadership Development 187

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Controlling-leaders end up with compliant teams. Most leaders have control issues. On a scale of 1 to 10, how controlling are you? Just go with your gut. Suppose you’re an 8 on the controlling-leader-scale.

Team 186

Team Leadership Development Development Leadership 186

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 10, 2016

Your greatest strengths come effortlessly. It takes work to develop skills, but your strengths came with you from birth. 4 problems with strengths: #1. You devalue your value.

Skills 228

Skills Development Leadership Development Leadership 228

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 3, 2016

We might be able to fake leadership in breezy weather, but dark seas are bright lights. The way you deal with problems is more important than the problems themselves. 3 dysfunctional problem-solvers: #1. Tippy-toe leaders.

Leadership 228

Leadership Leadership Development Development 228

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 24, 2016

It’s tempting to prioritize poor performers and neglect middle and top performers. Leaders believe small improvements in poor performance make a big difference. They’re right, but how likely is progress?

How To 184

How To Leadership Development Development Leadership 184

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 25, 2016

Unexpressed gratitude is ungratefulness to those around you. An unexpected gratitude list for leaders: Celebrate the circumstances you’re tempted to complain about. Challenges teach you more than ease.

Leadership Development 183

Leadership Development Development Leadership 183

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

You’re stressed out and over worked because it takes skill and courage to delegate effectively. You’ve reached your highest potential, if you’re maxed out and you refuse to delegate.

Delegation 224

Delegation Stress Skills Succession 224

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

Change may begin with declaration, but change efforts sputter until leaders change their own behaviors. 4 steps on the path to the highest good: #1. Paint a picture of the medium-term highest good.

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182

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 5, 2016

You don’t become a better leader by thinking about becoming a better leader. You become a better leader by test driving untested behaviors. Lead a meeting in a new way.

Leadership Development 229

Leadership Development Development Leadership 229

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 16, 2016

If you’re like many leaders, you’re frustrated with something right now. If you aren’t frustrated, all I need to do is bring up common trigger issues. Results fell short. Unexpected problems blocked progress.

Leadership Development 182

Leadership Development Development Leadership 182

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 30, 2016

Failure to bring up disappointing performance is cruel, not compassionate. Apart from intervention, negative trajectory accelerates. When silence is painful, not golden: Silence when performance disappoints prolongs pain, increases stress, and affirms mediocrity. Eventually. pain increases to the point that it overcomes reluctance to address uncomfortable issues.

Stress 182

Stress Succession Leadership Development Development 182

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

Some leaders are painful to be around. To be honest, sometimes you and I are the pain. We’ve all been the leader others complain about. The 5 most painful leaders to be around: Nit-pickers.

Succession 182

Succession Leadership Development Development Leadership 182

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Successful leaders see the dark and the bright. Lousy leaders only see the dark. Teams shrivel under the bitterness of ungrateful leadership. Image source 7 sources of ungratefulness in leadership: Dissatisfaction.

Leadership 181

Leadership Team Succession Leadership Development 181

Leadership Freak

NOVEMBER 24, 2016

When people think of you, are their hearts filled with gratitude? If they are, it’s because you poured value into their lives. Image source 7 principles of generosity, gratitude, and influence: The opportunity to give indicates you have already received. Servant-leaders ask, “What’s in it for others?

Servant Leader 181

Servant Leader Influence Leadership Development Development 181

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 9, 2016

The irritating imperfections of others may actually be strengths. Irritating imperfections: What follows is a short list of irritating imperfections that drive me crazy. Your list would likely be different.

How To 181

How To Leadership Development Development Leadership 181

Leadership Freak

OCTOBER 13, 2016

#1. Look for people who respect wisdom in others. Contemptuous know-it-alls: Can’t connect. An over-confident phony keeps everyone, except other phonies, at arm’s length. Ignore suggestions. Belittle the experience of others.

How To 181

How To Leadership Development Development Leadership 181

Leadership Freak

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

The impact of your leadership is measured by the effect you have on others. Manage the splash: You always impact those around you. Even if people turn from you, you have impact. Some leaders tend to lift people toward bright. Some leaders tend to drag people toward dark.

Energy 180

Energy Management How To Leadership 180