Nothing shows humility, grace, and vulnerability like a sincere apology. Note: I’m not talking about a non-apology or a rushed “I’m sorry.” I’m taking about real, sincere apologies that build trust, extinguish guilt, and provide healing. Examples of non-apologies: I’m sorry, but… I’m sorry you took it that way. Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. My … Read more
Ricardo was the president of the Band Parents for a time while I was a band director. He ran pretty good meetings. His corporate background and command of deliverables worked very well, especially when another officer, Don, ran off at the mouth. Most of Don’s ramblings were trivial, and sometimes they were negative. But Ricardo … Read more
I heard Suzanne Lemen, the principal of Dynamic Corporate Solutions Incorporated, speak at the HR Florida conference in August 2018, and she had some good thoughts on managing up. I’ll present them in bullet points, but they seem to fit two major themes: 1) Ask questions of your manager 2) Have a deliberate strategy for … Read more
Recently, I chaperoned a large group trip for a bunch of teenagers—over 300 of them. I had to keep track of about 35 of them myself, and punctuality was the most pressing issue of the trip. If any one person was late for the bus or the meeting point, it held up all 300. While … Read more
The Leader Campus with Mel Wildermuth has done it again! Another great interview with a leadership expert (no, not me. This time.) I’ve been a huge fan of Lee Cockerell and his book, Creating Magic, for some time. In fact, once, I designed a three-week class on leadership and Disney influence. It never happened, though … Read more
How are your communication habits? Would others agree with your assessment? Do they change during times of stress? Change and stress complicate situations and relationships. It’s when we need more communication with each other, but what generally happens is just the opposite. Communication, transparency, empathy, and authenticity build relationships, and good relationships are good for … Read more
Change is inevitable, and for creatures of habit, change is hard. Yet, it’s also necessary. No one deals with all changes well, but there comes a moment in every change cycle when we must make a choice: accept the change or walk away. We call this the “Moment of Resignation.” The Moment of Resignation comes … Read more
Because conflict can be tense and uncomfortable, we might want it to end quickly. DiSC-wise, S types, and even some i types, find productive conflict awkward at times. Caving in works. It ends discussion.
Successful leaders avoid this phrase:
“I need you to…”
Although this is a common way for leaders to assign tasks, it is poor wording for these reasons:
It turns servant leadership upside down; leaders are supposed to meet the needs of others, not to seek to have their own needs met.
“How do you manage up?” This is a very common question. Others may disagree, but I give this short answer: You don’t. You manage yourself and your team so well that your manager rarely questions anything you do. If your manager is unreasonable, then there’s not much you can do anyway, unless there is a … Read more