I’ve been working with organizations in all sectors for over ten years, helping them develop leaders who motivate and teams who love working together. However, it took a few years for some skeptical high-level leaders and large corporations to take me seriously. Why? Because I had no background working in a corporate environment. My degrees … Read more
I used to espouse this as a general rule: Successful leaders avoid saying “I,” “me,” and “myself” when offering thoughts and assigning tasks. Using team-oriented “we” language keeps the focus on others instead of the leader. However… I’ve revised my general rule over time (see below) even though the original still has merit. Leaders have … Read more
“Humility is the cornerstone of leadership.” –John G. Miller The word “leadership” brings to mind several adjectives: action-oriented, outgoing, visionary, confident, competent, problem-solving, and responsible. However, I would argue the most important quality in a leader is humility. But what is humility and what does it look like? Firstly, let’s start with what humility is … Read more
You may have heard me share this quote from Batman Begins: “Bruce, deep down you may still be that same great kid you used to be. But it’s not who you are underneath… it’s what you do that defines you.” Batman Begins (2005) I’m not a fan of pumping people up with an “attitude is … Read more
Jim, the principal at my first teaching job, often said, “Most days, we have fun around here.” He said this to me at my job interview and followed it with “…and you can’t say that about most jobs.” I accepted the job and realized he was right. But that was 30 years ago, and Jim … Read more
We all know the value of modeling for team members. We also know it’s appropriate to delegate tasks in order to develop others. Here are some thoughts on the relationship between modeling and delegation: Delegated work makes people feel valued, included, and appreciated. When people are empowered at work, you can expect more productivity and … Read more
We are at our best when we feel in control of our fate. In other words, when we have a sense of autonomy, we are more likely to make better choices and take ownership of those choices. Additionally, we inspire confidence and trust when we take responsibility for our choices. Words matter. Generally, we use … Read more
I got really annoyed at a hotel front desk clerk once. It was my first time at the hotel, too. One of the hotel staff originally said we (my extended family and I) would have adjoining rooms, but when we arrived, we found we weren’t in adjoining rooms. So, I explained the situation to the … Read more
Like the many businesses right now, Group Dynamic is also changing. Yesterday, the current Group Dynamic staff met to talk about what the business will look like in 2022. Specifically, we discussed what we need to keep and what we need to change. For many years, the old model of Group Dynamic staffing included: Alan … Read more
There is no shortage of information about how work is changing. Many sources support these two points: Employees have several options about where to work, and a lot aren’t happy where they are working now. Employers know these facts, and they’re worried. “Insight #2” on Principal’s 2021 Quarter 3 Retirement Security Survey provides the following … Read more