Engaging and developing others is one of our primary roles as a leader. For some of us this comes very naturally and for others it is a discipline that must be cultivated. Regardless of the ease or rigor required, the leaders we admire the most figure this out.
Tag: leader
How do you keep score as a leader? What key metrics ultimately determine whether you are winning or not? Several years ago, my coach asked me questions like these and others. I had to confess, I wasn’t sure I had good answers for him. His conclusion was: What key numbers does your leader hold you accountable to achieve?
As I travel the country meeting with leaders, I find many of the questions featured in my posts. Today, I’m in Birmingham and a leader asked, “How do you help someone embrace their leadership potential if they don’t see it themselves?”
What would happen if your organization became a place where dreams come true? This may seem like a crazy question – making dreams come true is not what most organizations do. Even those who would say they attempt to do this for customers would rarely say they try to do this for their own employees.
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Thanks, Mom!
Countless people have influenced my leadership, and many more will help me grow in the future. However, the short list of key influencers would have to include my mom. She shaped many of my deeply held beliefs about life and leadership.
This article was originally published in May 2012. Tapping into creativity is a constant challenge. I hope this updated post helps jumpstart your team.
In a business climate that can turn on a tweet, creativity is not just an asset, it’s essential. But I’m not just advocating creativity for creativity’s sake – companies need creativity to solve real business problems. Many of the pre-recession ways of doing business are no longer viable. As a seasoned leader shared with me recently, “The half-life of ideas is decreasing rapidly.” So what’s our response?
I’ve been trying to learn to lead for decades (I still am) – and I’ve been trying to help other leaders grow for almost as long. One of my mistakes early in my career was a myopic focus on the skills of leadership to the exclusion of my character as a leader. Today, I understand the importance of both.
All human beings have strengths. My friend Marcus Buckingham has helped raise the world’s awareness of this fact. The tragedy: many people ignore, or under utilize their strengths. For a leader, the opposite is often true. If we’re not careful and strategic, we can overuse them.
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Progress Is Always Preceded by Change
Change – besides, religion and politics, there are few other topics that are so polarizing. Some people are opposed to change regardless of the reason, rationale or logic. Others, often leaders, make a living creating it. The irony is, even some leaders don’t love it, but they instigate it anyway. Why? Leaders understand: Progress is always preceded by change.
I love fielding questions. It’s my favorite part of my speaking engagements. I’m always thrilled when the format and timing works out so I can address the audience’s questions. My desire to speak to your issues is why I love the Today’s Challenge series. Today, someone has asked: How do I respond to complacency on my team?