Jayson and Alan discuss sarcasm, and the way it keeps people guessing. Effective leadership needs to be clear, and be respectful, and there are ways to have a sense of humor that don’t involve sarcasm. Related posts: Sarcasm has no place in leadership Sarcasm keeps you from standing out
Matt shares the Quantum Apology Model with Alan; the AAMR method helps leaders – and anyone – apologize with sincerity and grace in order to improve positive relationships and move forward from conflict or misunderstanding. Related posts: What if someone rejects an apology? Apologies
Leaders avoid saying things that shut down discussion and communication; some of these are obviously intended to do this, so using them can damage your credibility also. Here are some examples: “…Enough said.” or the colloquial “‘nuf said.” “Last time I checked,” followed by something like “this was still a free country.” “Just sayin’” “No … Read more
Dear friend, fellow educator, and previous guest blogger Matt Pries likes to share the following model, with is derived from the Quantum Learning school of thought:
It’s cliche to mock the “do as I say, not as I do” leadership failure. That’s because this failure is way too common.
Does it go without saying that leaders must have integrity? If so, sorry. Just a couple of weeks ago, a manager was telling me about having to let a seemingly great hire go. Seeing my surprise, she looked me in the eye and said
“Samantha, please reinstate the afternoon tea and coffee cart for the residents, starting in November.”
Samantha [delivered with sarcastic tone and an eye roll] replies,
“Well, sure, why not. Last time we tried it, Beth in 4C took 10 tea bags. AND when I wasn’t looking, some of the staff drained the second pot of coffee so I had to make a third one.
If the two-word definition of leadership is “Meet needs,” then you have frequent opportunities to be very explicit about that mission by taking three seconds to ask
Something that occasionally presents itself in the world of leadership is that there is one person, also a leader, who doesn’t “get it.”
Maybe it’s another teacher, a member of administration or your direct supervisor. They see what you are doing, they know that those you lead appreciate what you’re doing, but for one reason or another, they don’t think it applies to them. It’s usually one of the following: they think they’re already doing it, they think their team is doing fine and they don’t have the time to “waste,” or they think their way is better.
The Olympics have a way of shining a new light on the meaning of dedication.
The opening ceremonies were comprised of one spectacular vignette after another, with thousands of performers, musicians and athletes knowing exactly where to go and what to do during every minute of their moment in the spotlight. That’s dedication.
Every commercial that runs during the Olympic Games tells the athlete’s tale of foregoing dessert, not watching TV, not skipping a single day’s workout in order to be the best. That’s dedication.
Then there was the Chinese farmer who spent the last two years traveling to London via rickshaw just to see the Olympic games. A little extreme, but yes – that’s dedication.