These are my least-read posts. Maybe they hit on the wrong week for people, or the titles were bad, or I tweeted them at the wrong time, but I share them here because they need love, too. And they have value. Leaders increase effectiveness by changing things up Yeah, Effective Leaders have “Vision”, but What … Read more
This week, five posts that will help you understand the value of great customer service, everyone’s role in it, and some ideas to make it happen. Disney’s Magic Trick Dig the Little Things Pause and Listen One of my favorite bad service stories… Non-leaders can lead, too… The plus one: Check out the Unsecret Shopper … Read more
Several posts have had a focus on behavior and giving frequent specific feedback. These things are among the wisest a leader can do, and yet they can be quite uncommon. Here are five posts that deal with these issues, and the “plus one” is one of my favorite sources on the topic… What’s the Magic … Read more
Here we are at Avonlea Village (for you Anne of Green Gables fans) on our last trip to Canada in 2009. As I wrote this, I was preparing for family vacation to Manitoba. Yes, that’s right, Manitoba. That’s where we were when this was going to get published on June 29. Unfortunately, I goofed up … Read more
Are you new to a leadership position, and you’ve found this blog? Here are the top five posts with relevance to new leaders. By the way, please share this with any new leaders in your life! Positive leadership isn’t the same thing as “soft” leadership What three things make the biggest difference? (part one) What … Read more
Everyone loves stories. Stories inspire and motivate and help things “stick” so much better than facts, data, and research findings. Stories combine facts and emotion, the best of both worlds. That’s why I try to use them as much as possible. Below, the five blog posts with the best stories. Two Stories Beware acting while … Read more
It’s summer! Summer is a very busy time for me, personally and professionally. I originally planned to take the blog on hiatus, but there are too many people who are counting on it every Wednesday, which is great! So, to balance out the demands, here’s the summer plan: Each week, I’ll pick a topic. I’ll … Read more
Some of us enjoy the tidy list. Nice to have as a touchstone, though if we’re serious, we’ll dig deeper. Regardless, here are two for your consideration. The first is seminal for me — the summarization of the far-reaching work of Kouzes and Posner. The second is the one that summarizes the Group Dynamic leadership curriculum. … Read more
Sometimes when I bowl, I make it my goal to bowl fast and loud. I accelerate my approach, and fling the ball as fast as I can. The result? It’s really loud when the ball hits the pins (if it hits the pins) and my game ends more quickly. My score is also lower. If … Read more
This week, we look at the third concept of “The Big Three.” This is not new ground for this blog, and I encourage you to check out related posts: Effective Feedback is About the Future Leaders Model the Behavior they Expect Attitude is not everything. Listen to Batman and focus on behavior… What’s the Magic … Read more