There is a sweet spot when it comes to personal development. It’s this: “I know I don’t know it all, but I’m open to learning more.” The most successful leaders embrace this. Yet, we’ve all seen the leader who says, “I’m doing just fine,” but is really insecure and doesn’t really know how much they … Read more
In an episode of The Office, Michael (manager) is headed home for the day, and reports this to Jo (owner). He’s clearly uncomfortable that he’s ready to leave, while she is still there working harder and longer. She notices this and tells him, “If your work is done, and you’re proud of it, and you … Read more
I used to be a band director. In my first of three jobs, things didn’t start out very well, but after about three years, I “figured it out,” developed a system, and things worked for that group of 26. Then, I moved to a new school, and tried the same system for a group of … Read more
Hersey and Blanchard’s concept of Situational Leadership dictates that we provide a level of leadership and attention that is appropriate to a follower’s levels of expertise and motivation. Often, leaders believe they are “empowering” and “granting autonomy” by being hands-off, and letting people learn on their own. While that sounds good, it only works in cases … Read more
The blog is back! 2014 has been a reality check for us at Group Dynamic. By June, it was clear that this year, we would exceed all goals and projections. So, we (and it is “we” now) have scaled up, re-prioritized time use and projects, clarified and expanded offerings, incorporated (S-Corp, for you curious business … Read more
Leaders are always fairly busy. That’s okay – if we really truly finished our entire to-do list by the end of the day, we probably aren’t stretching enough. In previous posts, we’ve explored some time/task management ideas for busy leaders in normally busy times, and in overly busy times. In a personal post that I … Read more
So, you’ve read your leader as an “I!” And, you want them to read this post! Of course you do!!! But – things go better when we work to adapt ourselves, rather than trying to force others to change! In fact, our adaptation can inspire others to change. (Have you read Leadership and Self-Deception yet?) [Are you getting tired of all the … Read more
Matt and Alan talk about the danger of dwelling on things.
This is a “rerun” from last year; some events of the last month have convinced me to share it anew: We’re just a couple weeks from the Winter Solstice, the shortest darkest day of the year. A contrast to the holiday season, it can exacerbate hidden internal sadness in those around us. I love Christmas … Read more
WARNING: This post is nothing but a story, though you will find usable content at the end. Also, it’s over 700 words. If you’re a long-time loyal reader, though, it’s required reading. (If you’re new to this blog, this is really the last thing you ought to read. I suggest starting here.) As mentioned at … Read more