1996
I was despondent. Poor me. “My people” weren’t engaged. They didn’t get me; they weren’t loyal, they weren’t receptive, they were leaving me, and it wasn’t my fault. They just needed to give me more time, to get to know me…
Except…
Servant leadership
Effective Leaders Take 3 Seconds to Say…
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
The Olympics of Dedication
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.
Effective leaders value clarity
Few things are more energizing than leaving a productive meeting with your team, set ablaze with fresh ideas that will set the wheels in motion. You’re ready to go. Your team is ready to go. You’ve established MT goals and are ready to tackle the world.
It’s a great feeling. Until something, somewhere, gets a little hazy.
Organizing your attentiveness
Last fall, I spent two blog posts discussing how effective leaders stay organized. At that time, I was referring to your actual to-do list, which typically won’t have the actual words “pay attention to John on Monday.” But maybe you should consider it. A colleague of mine was telling me about a car salesman who … Read more
The leadership opportunity of Caller ID…
Sometimes, servant leadership calls for relinquishing power. Insecure leaders look for opportunities to take power, and we know this on some level. Here’s an opportunity to
The Leadership Challenge – Happy Birthday!
Happy Anniversary to the most important book on leadership on my shelf. Not only is it compelling, research-based, comprehensive, elegant, immediately applicable, and timeless; it changed my life.
Research ought to be relevant, right? So, when it was time
“Where do you get that energy?!”
Frequently, people ask me that question. Those who ask are usually witnessing me in a professional situation; if they saw me after the alarm goes off, there’s no way they’d ask that!
But it’s true- if we lead, we have an obligation to give those we serve our best, and that means maintaining optimal mental and physical energy. Everyone’s prescription is different, but here’s mine, for what it’s worth.
’tis the season to be sensitive…
We’re just a few days past 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 music. But not all of it at the same level of love. I prefer minor keys, obscure pieces, and … Read more
Things successful leaders avoid saying (part 4)
The phrase “I don’t care” is often used to give permission. It may be splitting hairs to talk about this phrase, but this blog has often been picky about the words that we use. Words are important.
Three points, in order from