In their research on Characteristics of Admired Leaders, Kouzes and Posner found this: Far and away, the most desired characteristics of leaders are (in this order): HonestForward-lookingInspiringCompetent It’s fascinating that both “inspiring” AND “competent” are on the list together, as it feels frequent that a leader demonstrates one characteristic, but not the other. What really … Read more
Remember that two-word definition of leadership – “Meet Needs” ? You can really put that into action by staying conscious of things that you can deliver to the people who report to you. Your team is so used to deliverables they’re accountable for, that it’s a nice change of pace when you ask them specifically, … Read more
A fellow consultant and I once worked with a small services firm that had some retention and engagement problems. At first, everything seemed in place – the people were good; the quality of their work was sound; the CEO and leadership team cared about their folks. But, looking closer, there were some misguided notions in … Read more
Matt and Alan talk about the danger of dwelling on things.
Everyone works through grief and the aftermath of trauma in their own way. Some of us have had success navigating stages of grief, and others have dealt with tragedy in their own, unclassifiable way. It feels safe to say that everyone is different, and everyone ought to be regarded with patience. Sometimes, leaders can be … Read more
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 “He didn’t walk the talk.” The folks at Iowa’s Character Counts … Read more