Let's Grow Leaders

JULY 23, 2014

'If you bring all of who you are to the leadership table, some people will hate your style. In fact, it’s likely that a few “important” people will not “like” you. Authenticity is intimidating, and scares those with the most to hide. Far easier to lead like everyone else and be groomed to fit a mold. Similarly, letting people see who you are and hear what you really mean makes you vulnerable.

Team 498

Team Energy Outsourcing Follow-up 498

Let's Grow Leaders

OCTOBER 1, 2014

'“Will or skill” is an insufficient question when addressing performance issues. This model works okay if it’s truly a “skill” issue because managers know what to do next. They train, coach, or assign a buddy. But the “will issue” answer often begins a slide down a slippery slope of assumptive questions: Why doesn’t she care?

Energy 496

Energy Document Skills Training 496

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 29, 2014

'Joe’s a bright guy and his idea was solid. His data seemed right intuitively, but we had a few questions. My peer started with a softball. Joe responded with a stutter, swing, and a miss. He made the cardinal sin of answering tough questions– he made stuff up. He wasn’t exactly sure of the answer, and he took a chance that we were dumber than he was on the topic.

Audience 493

Audience Long-term Proposal Reputation 493

Let's Grow Leaders

JANUARY 29, 2014

'“Sam” was beaming with excitement as he told me about his promotion. He was in the throws of a transition from supervisor to manager, He’ll now lead leaders. ”…but it’s scary,” he added. “I know I have to handle this whole thing differently. I was very close to my team. We talked about everything […] The post How to Succeed as Scope and Scale Increases appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How To 494

How To Career Team Management 494

Let's Grow Leaders

JUNE 18, 2014

'Your strategy is only as strong as the ability to execute at the frontline. You can have all the great plans, six sigma workouts, and brilliant competitive positioning in the universe, but if the human beings doing the real work lack the competence, confidence, and creativity to pull it off, you’re back to muddling through. The team leader role is a tough gig.

Six Sigma 491

Six Sigma Team Execution Energy 491

Let's Grow Leaders

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'Executives are naturally a tough audience. They’ve got limited time, competing priorities, information overload, demanding bosses, and pressure to make great decisions quickly. Your job is to give them all the information they need in a way they can easily digest. Most of us have stories of times when the message we tried to send was not the message received, and the tidy PowerPoint presentation spiraled downward in a frenzied fiasco. 9 Mistakes To Avoid When Presenting to Executives. 1.

Execution 488

Execution Bottom-up Audience Comparison 488

Let's Grow Leaders

JANUARY 6, 2014

'We’d spent the last 5 days reconnecting as a family, completely dark from any semblance of social networking. Alright, I’ll be honest… all networking…each night my husband and I requested a table for 4 on this 5 night cruise to Mexico. It’s cool to meet other travelers… but not this time, we needed family and […] The post Effective Networking: 6 Secrets Your Kids Know appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Travel 480

Travel Career Development Leadership 480

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 25, 2014

'When I heard his story, I wanted to scream with him and for him. But screaming at water under the bridge just brings more rapids. I paused for what was an uncomfortably long time. Then, I whispered, “I know this hurts. But you have to stop. Kick and scream and get it all out, and then take a deep breath and take off on the high road.” It’s true that John didn’t deserve this.

Apparel 476

Apparel Energy Travel Career 476

Let's Grow Leaders

MAY 23, 2014

'I’ve yet to meet a manager who admits to being a micromanager, but according to micromanagement expert Harry Chambers and other corroborating research , the majority of workers indicate that micromanagement has interfered with job performance. I imagine the disconnect is that it’s rarely an either/or situation. Micromanaging is a dysfunctional behavior that most leaders fall into from time to time.

Micromanagement 468

Micromanagement Energy Mentor Follow-up 468

Let's Grow Leaders

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

'Today’s post is from Bill Holston, Executive Director at Human Rights Initiative of Northern Texas. Bill is a regular commenter in our LGL community. As I’ve gotten to know Bill, I’ve been inspired by his amazing career transition. The work his team is doing changes and saves lives. I invited him to share his […] The post Transitions: An Inspiring Story of Meaningful Work appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Career 466

Career Execution Team 466

Let's Grow Leaders

MARCH 3, 2014

'Welcome to Mean It Madness Month on Let’s Grow Leaders. My sister, Jill Herr, works is a healthcare executive and speech pathologist, my nephew, Jared Herr (middle school) and son, Ben Evans (college), are active student leaders. We’re all disturbed by a pattern we see across many contexts. The severe consequences of people not saying […] The post Mean It Madness Month on LGL #meanit appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Politics 464

Politics Execution 464

Let's Grow Leaders

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

'Every time “Elizabeth” asks her boss, “Carol” for feedback, Carol tells her she’s “doing great.” But this is Elizabeth’s 5th year in the same job and she’s starting to wonder. She’s watched peers who don’t seem any more qualified get promoted or selected for special assignments. Her performance reviews are always solid, but never outstanding. […] The post 8 Questions You Should Ask Your Boss appeared first on Let'

Performance Review 462

Performance Review Career Review Management 462

Let's Grow Leaders

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

'“Hello, How are Y…?” “Carl” interrupted my greeting before I could finish. “Karin, I have to leave my company.” Not your typical Saturday morning phone call. He was fired up. He’s an old friend, and he’d been with his company for nearly two decades. I figured he was calling to have me […] The post When Running Away is Running Toward appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Energy 461

Energy Environment Career Company 461

Let's Grow Leaders

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'If you’re just tuning in, I’ve been teaching an MBA course on Managing Difficult Employees and gave these “students” (read that, really smart working millennials with big jobs in our nation’s capital) “homework” to developing an approach to manage their difficult employee and to journal about it. If you missed Monday’s post , best to start there.

Bottom-up 457

Bottom-up Energy Analysis Career 457

Let's Grow Leaders

OCTOBER 22, 2014

'Great leaders help teams visualize a winning future. They arm their team with the courage and audacity to remove roadblocks and galvanize people toward “impossible” feats. Take John. John had been in tough situations before, but this time the cocktail of challenges was just too much. He needed more time, more resources, better systems, and the uncertainty of the restructure was distracting to everyone, including him.

Team 453

Team Discount Restructuring Uncertainty 453

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 22, 2014

'Welcome back to the Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival. Our August Festival is all about Humor in the Workplace. Thanks to Joy and Tom Guthrie of Vixwerx for the great pic. “Everything is funny, as long as it’s happening to somebody else.” - Will Rogers. Humor and Leadership. “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” – Dwight D.

P&L 453

P&L Leadership Rogers McCarthy 453

Let's Grow Leaders

OCTOBER 15, 2014

'When I ask leaders why they’re not telling people what they need to know, the most consistent response I get is “ Sh e or he didn’t ask.” Quite frankly that’s a cop-out. Yeah sure–ideally everyone would be ASKING for feedback. If you’re not asking, start asking now. It may be the only thing standing between you and the truth.

How To 451

How To Brand Career Advice 451

Let's Grow Leaders

MARCH 26, 2014

'“Too many women in too many countries speak the same language — of silence.” Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton’s noticed a pattern in her decades of work developing men and women staffers. As she shared it from the stage at the conference I attended last week, I felt […]. The post Hillary Clinton and I Share This Concern appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Godin 452

Godin Conference Career Skills 452

Let's Grow Leaders

JUNE 20, 2014

'Welcome back to the Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival. June’s Festival is all about change and transitions. We have a record line-up of impressive thought leaders. Thanks to Joy and Tom Guthrie of Vizwerx for their awesome pic (see right). Follow @joy_guthrie. A special thanks also goes to LGL intern Ben Evans. Leading Change. “Change is the law of life.

Follow-up 451

Follow-up Ethics Resistance Shaw 451

Let's Grow Leaders

JUNE 4, 2014

'When managers see their role as a small cog in a bigger system they do whatever they can to fit in. They trade power for conformity. Their team yearns for bold vision, challenging questions, and scaffolding support. But they look up and see weakness, which makes them feel weaker and diminishes results. Nothing saddens me more than potential leaders who give away their power.

Management 451

Management Benchmarking eBook Loyalty 451

Let's Grow Leaders

JANUARY 27, 2014

'Mark shuts the door and begins the emergency meeting. What he’s got to say isn’t easy, but these guys can handle it. That’s why they “get paid the big bucks.” He minces no words. Stock prices, competitive pressures… time to get it together. NOW. The intimidation factor is high. Fix it fast… or […] The post Trickle Down Intimidation appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Price 447

Price Leadership Succession 447

Let's Grow Leaders

JUNE 25, 2014

'It’s interesting to see leaders who take their servant leadership philosophy seriously at work, but have a more hovering approach when it comes to their children. In an effort to protect and scaffold, they actually overlook natural opportunities for their children to emerge as leaders. The best way to learn the piano is to practice. The best way to learn to do a flip-turn is to get in the pool and get some water up your nose.

Leadership 444

Leadership Download Maturity Workshop 444

Let's Grow Leaders

APRIL 2, 2014

'I wish HR would teach a course on the really stupid sentences people say at work. Oh, I’m not talking about he obvious stupidity: ”you look hot in that dress” or “hey baby…” there’s training and rules for that. But there’s no code of conduct to protect against the stupid, disempowering words I often hear […].

Career 444

Career Training Course 444

Let's Grow Leaders

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

'They come in all shapes and forms. Sometimes it’s talk dark and handsome, with an extra dose of charisma, and two expresso shots of attitude. Or blonde, with a great purse, an MBA from a top 25, and a sarcastic streak that makes everyone in her wake feel like crap. Or the balding dude from finance who can out-gun anyone with a spreadsheet at twenty paces, who won’t even hear your argument for more funding unless you can outwit his wittiness.

Management 442

Management Charisma Career Finance 442

Let's Grow Leaders

MAY 16, 2014

'For May’s Frontline Festival, I asked experts around the world to share their best career advice. It’s amazing how consistent the ideas are across cultures and contexts. Thanks to all the contributors. This great graphic below is from Joy and Tom Gurthrie, Vizwerx Group. Follow Joy @VizwerxGroup. Holding Career Conversations. Jennifer V.

Advice 442

Advice Career Ryan Follow-up 442

Let's Grow Leaders

NOVEMBER 17, 2014

'Confident, humble leaders take a moment to privately “applaud themselves.” There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a mini-time out to tell yourself “Wow! Great job.” Particularly for the incremental baby steps that change the game. Privately applauding yourself is vital if others aren’t looking or caring about your greater mission.

Bottom-up 440

Bottom-up Video Goal Learning-by-Doing 440

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 11, 2014

'Unsticking your team is one of the biggest challenges of a leader. When inertia sets in, there’s almost always a breakdown in belief at some level. When teams stop believing they stop doing. If your team has lost that magic feeling, look for signs of lostbelieving. 6 Reasons TeamsStop Believing. 1. They Stop Believing in You. This can take a variety of forms, but it almost always comes down to a matter of trust.

Team 440

Team Teamwork Energy Ethics 440

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 15, 2014

'Today I bring you a guest post from LGL Tribe member, David Tumbarello. I often find his comments could be a post in themselves. His views on confident humility are so rich, I invited him to share more deeply. Thanks to LGL Tribe member, Joy Guthrie for the art. Confident Humility: The Conversation Continues. My hope in writing this guest blog today is to respond to Karin Hurt’s post about Humility and Leadership.

Project 439

Project Library Brainstorming Career 439

Let's Grow Leaders

JUNE 27, 2014

'Great ideas come in halves , these are the words I hear often from my LGL en Español partner, Kay Valenzuela. I believe it. Work is enhanced by true collaboration. One of the best parts of my entrepreneurial journey has been the amazing collaborations, in writing, in business, in shared passions. I’ve got four deep collaborations in process now, including writing a children’s picture book with Alli Polin and the launch of a Parent’s Guide to Leadership (a free ebook downloa

Teamwork 440

Teamwork eBook Short-term Team Building 440

Let's Grow Leaders

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

'This month’s Frontline Festival sets a new record for submissions. I am grateful for all the experts sharing their insights on creating connection. Connecting the Dots Dan Rockwell, Leadership Freak shares Mintzberg Rejects Macro-Leadership. When Dan asked Henry Mintzberg for the advice he most frequently sharing with leaders and managers, he said one word, “Connect.” Follow Dan @leadershipfreak […] The post Expert Advice on Creating Connection: A Frontline Festival a

Advice 437

Advice Mintzberg Leadership Styles Creativity 437

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 6, 2014

'You team has questions they’re afraid to ask. They’ve got limited information, but they figure if you wanted to tell them you would. They worry that raising the issue will look like insubordination, or somehow make them look less in your eyes. Maybe you can share, maybe you can’t. But that doesn’t make the questions go away.

Team 432

Team Brand Consultative Blog 432

Let's Grow Leaders

JANUARY 20, 2014

'If you ask any leader for the right way to handle a screw up, you’ll likely hear the following advice. 1. Admit the screw up 2. Apologize 3. Do what you can to make it right. Try it. Tell a few leaders you just screwed up and ask for advice. Let me know if […] The post The Screw Up Post I Shouldn’t Have to Write appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Advice 431

Advice Follow-up Organization Succession 431

Let's Grow Leaders

NOVEMBER 21, 2014

'Welcome back to the Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival. Our November Festival is all about Worklife Balance Integration. Thanks to Joy and Tom Guthrie of Vizwerx Group for the great pic and to all our contributors! What is Worklife Balance? “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton.

Merton 429

Merton Mission Statement Learning-by-Doing Goal 429

Let's Grow Leaders

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

'In conference rooms all over the world, well-meaning HR types are sitting down with well-meaning managers and possibly a well-meaning consultant or two to talk about how to fix employee engagement. “How do we get these millennials to be deeply committed to their work?” “The staff is so tenured, it’s hard to get them excited about something new.

Tips 429

Tips Motivation Energy Budgeting 429

Let's Grow Leaders

FEBRUARY 26, 2014

'Work should be fun, but should it be playful? Pause here. What were your first reactions when you read those words? Perhaps some of these thoughts are running through your mind… “Work is not fun, that’s why they call it work” “Play” is not good for my leadership image “Sometimes, in the right context.” In […] The post When Work is Play appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Servant Leader 429

Servant Leader Leadership Styles Energy Leadership 429

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 18, 2014

'Your body might sabatoging your career. Not on purpose, your heart’s in the right place. In fact, you’ve mastered the basics. You’re way past avoiding eye contact, wussy handshakes, and the proverbial fig leaf arms. Beware of 3 more subtle nonverbal cues that I see seriously damage credibility. 3 Subtle Nonverbal Mistakes Leaders Make. “I speak two languages, Body and English”-Mae West.

Webinar 426

Webinar Self-aware Career Stress 426

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 1, 2014

'As a follow-up to our discussion about the Biggest Mistakes Team Leaders make, Bruce Harpham offers his insights on the biggest mistakes NEW leaders make. Mark Twain said, “Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement.” When we made errors in judgement, it’s important to learn from that experience. Fortunately, you don’t have to experience every leadership mistake personally in order to grow your skills.

Automotive 426

Automotive Collins Learning-by-Doing CEO 426