I was recently talking to a neighbor about an ordinance being considered by our city council. She didn’t like it and felt strongly that it shouldn’t pass. She went on to make the case to me, raising several valid points I had not considered before. I reminded her that the city was holding a public […]
Archive for Leadership
One Simple Trick to Bring Out the Best in People
How Leading with Positive Expectations Can Work for You
Winston Lord is a former ambassador to China who once wrote speeches for Henry Kissinger. Looking back, he said he couldn’t “recommend that to anybody.” Why? “You’d have to go through about 20 drafts and many insults before you got to the final speech.” In one outrageous but true example, Lord took Kissinger a draft […]
When Delegation Becomes Abdication
3 Reasons Your Leadership Doesn’t Get the Results You Want
Tell me you’ve had this experience. You assign a task but then forget about it. I sure have. As a leader, I am not a micromanager. That’s good news for my team. But I have to be intentional that delegation doesn’t drift into abdication. It’s not always disastrous when this happens. If we’ve hired well, […]
Ten Difficult, But Really Important Words
Here’s What to Say When You Blow It
Many words in the English language are difficult. In fact, there’s even a Dictionary of Difficult Words. But none are more difficult than these: “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Will you please forgive me?”
What I’ve Learned From Being Fired
3 Things Being Canned Taught Me About Management
It’s easy to look at successful people and envy their situation. What you often don’t see is the pain they went through to get there. I’ve made lots of mistakes. In fact, I’ve actually been fired from three jobs. Here’s what I learned.
Go Ahead Leaders, Take That Vacation
7 Strategies to Optimize Your Time Off and Come Back Refreshed
The days are getting shorter again, but it’s not too late to take a few days off before the end of summer. August is often the perfect month to take some time away from work. You should consider getting away for a bit because you probably need it. Vacations are vital for rejuvenation, especially for […]