http://artpetty.com Leadership, Management and Professional Development Wed, 23 May 2012 22:31:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 copyright by Art Petty, 2011 art.petty@artpetty.com (Art Petty) art.petty@artpetty.com (Art Petty) 1440 http://artpetty.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Lcpodcast144x144.png http://artpetty.com 144 144 http://artpetty.com/feed/podcast Leadership Caffeine Podcast Host Art Petty interviews leaders, leadership authors, management thinkers and other professionals about creating high performance teams and organizations and developing effective leaders at all levels, during this weekly program. The goal is to share practical, powerful ideas to help listeners improve their performance and the performance of their teams and organizations. Caffene, Ldrshp, Profesional, Dev, Ledership, Ldrshp, Caffeine, Proff'l, Dev Art Petty Art Petty art.petty@artpetty.com no no http://artpetty.com/2012/05/07/leadership-caffeine-7-suggestions-to-strengthen-your-groups-performance/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/07/leadership-caffeine-7-suggestions-to-strengthen-your-groups-performance/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 13:13:08 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7653 Performance counts. Efforts are nice, but ultimately, you are evaluated on the results of your team, not the amount of work you put into achieving your results. Here are 7 ideas to promote high performance with your team:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/07/leadership-caffeine-7-suggestions-to-strengthen-your-groups-performance/feed/ 5 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/09/leadership-caffeine-for-a-change-do-something-unconventionally-unorthodox/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/09/leadership-caffeine-for-a-change-do-something-unconventionally-unorthodox/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:11:35 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7458 We tend to love our life and work routines. They are comfortable and comforting. And while there’s a certain amount of routine that’s inherent in successfully running any organization, the best leaders seek and create opportunities to breakaway from the mind-numbing, sense-dulling pursuit of routine. Here are 5 ideas to stimulate your own-thinking on breaking the routine with your team:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/09/leadership-caffeine-for-a-change-do-something-unconventionally-unorthodox/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/26/leadership-caffeine-6-reasons-why-you-should-pass-on-the-happy-hour-invite/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/26/leadership-caffeine-6-reasons-why-you-should-pass-on-the-happy-hour-invite/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:47:25 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7305 Just say “No” to the post-work invite from the team for the beer. While you’ll feel torn because you enjoy social time as much as the next person, pay attention to that little voice in your mind trying to get your attention with, “You shouldn’t, you’re the boss.” No moralizing here. I’ve simply known too many who shut this voice out and paid with their credibility and on a few occasions, their jobs. Not convinced? Here are 6 reasons why I believe you should pass on the post-work happy hour invite:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/26/leadership-caffeine-6-reasons-why-you-should-pass-on-the-happy-hour-invite/feed/ 32 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/12/leadership-caffeine-4-big-reasons-to-kill-your-weekly-status-meeting/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/12/leadership-caffeine-4-big-reasons-to-kill-your-weekly-status-meeting/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:13:31 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7268 Few events do more to suck the life and energy out of a team than the boss’s weekly status meeting. If you are the boss, it's time to exorcise these from your operating routine.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/12/leadership-caffeine-4-big-reasons-to-kill-your-weekly-status-meeting/feed/ 12 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/05/leadership-caffeine-8-ideas-for-navigating-your-leadership-mistakes/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/05/leadership-caffeine-8-ideas-for-navigating-your-leadership-mistakes/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:12:50 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7255 Newsflash: all good leaders make mistakes. A great number of them. Everyday. After all, there are people involved, and this would be really easy without the people. Fortunately, people are all that we have. The true test of your leadership character isn’t measured by the number of mistakes you make, but rather, by what you do moving forward once a mistake is recognized. Here are 8 ideas for effectively learning from and navigating your leadership mistakes:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/05/leadership-caffeine-8-ideas-for-navigating-your-leadership-mistakes/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/27/leadership-caffeine-12-shots-of-leadership-espresso/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/27/leadership-caffeine-12-shots-of-leadership-espresso/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:34:40 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7226 Sometimes the best leadership guidance comes in short, strong bursts flavored with a few blunt reminders. Warning: consume too many of these at one time and your team members will thank you, productivity will go up and work might become a lot more enjoyable. Here are 12 shots of Leadership Espresso to help you get it right:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/27/leadership-caffeine-12-shots-of-leadership-espresso/feed/ 11 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/13/leadership-caffeine-get-invested-in-developing-your-new-leaders/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/13/leadership-caffeine-get-invested-in-developing-your-new-leaders/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:14:03 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7171 I’ve yet to run a workshop or program on leadership where anything approaching a majority of the participants describe their initial days of their initial role as a team leader, supervisor or manager as a period when they received much if any support and coaching from their own direct manager. Most describe this particularly precarious professional time as more like a “hit and run.” That's unfortunate, because the flame-out rate for first-time leaders is high and the fallout on those around them heavy. Here are 8 ideas for you to strengthen your support of your first-time leaders:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/13/leadership-caffeine-get-invested-in-developing-your-new-leaders/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2012/01/23/leadership-caffeine-warning-your-words-about-change-are-falling-on-cynical-ears/ http://artpetty.com/2012/01/23/leadership-caffeine-warning-your-words-about-change-are-falling-on-cynical-ears/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:28:48 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6940 Even the most credible of leaders have to step up their game when it comes to talking about and promoting change on their teams and in their organizations. Here are 7 Helpful Steps to Get Started on the Right Foot Talking About Change:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/01/23/leadership-caffeine-warning-your-words-about-change-are-falling-on-cynical-ears/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2012/01/16/leadership-caffeine-success-one-step-at-a-time/ http://artpetty.com/2012/01/16/leadership-caffeine-success-one-step-at-a-time/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:45:41 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6916 Too many people fail to overcome resistance and start moving forward. Instead of heeding Drucker’s advice, fear rents space in their minds, creating a never-ending litany of excuses that help ensure that their feet remain firmly planted in place.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/01/16/leadership-caffeine-success-one-step-at-a-time/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2011/11/28/leadership-caffeine-the-critical-importance-of-cultivating-your-cultural-intelligence/ http://artpetty.com/2011/11/28/leadership-caffeine-the-critical-importance-of-cultivating-your-cultural-intelligence/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:54:03 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6793 Leadership Caffeine: The Critical Importance of Cultivating your Cultural Intelligence. Note from Art: this is the first of a series of Leadership Caffeine posts encouraging your development of the critical skills required for success in today's world.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/11/28/leadership-caffeine-the-critical-importance-of-cultivating-your-cultural-intelligence/feed/ 5 http://artpetty.com/2011/11/21/leadership-caffeine-you-have-no-business-leading-others/ http://artpetty.com/2011/11/21/leadership-caffeine-you-have-no-business-leading-others/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:58:46 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6762 Leading others is not an inalienable right that comes with seniority or through mastery of a technical discipline. It’s too bad that a good number of senior leaders struggle to offer a clear “No” to those unfit for the role.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/11/21/leadership-caffeine-you-have-no-business-leading-others/feed/ 5 http://artpetty.com/2011/10/31/leadership-caffeine-if-you-want-to-be-a-critic-go-watch-a-movie/ http://artpetty.com/2011/10/31/leadership-caffeine-if-you-want-to-be-a-critic-go-watch-a-movie/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:42:16 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6724 The Leader as Critic is one of the most toxic, idea-crushing characters you’ll ever find in the workplace. This individual mistakenly assumes that title confers a License to Kill (perceived bad ideas) and he/she takes pride in shooting down ideas to protect people and teams from themselves. Here are ideas to help you recognize whether you are the critic. And if you work for one, here are some coping strategies.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/10/31/leadership-caffeine-if-you-want-to-be-a-critic-go-watch-a-movie/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2011/10/25/leadership-caffeine-do-you-have-the-courage-to-kill-your-business-to-save-it/ http://artpetty.com/2011/10/25/leadership-caffeine-do-you-have-the-courage-to-kill-your-business-to-save-it/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:30:05 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6719 Fresh off of my recent podcast interview with Geoffrey Moore on his new book, "Escape Velocity-Free Your Company’s Future from the Pull of the Past," I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with my informal Board of Advisors (2 CEOs, 1 GM and 2 Consultants and all experienced leaders) on this very topic…building a new business while running the old one. With my thanks for their input and ideas, here are the highlights:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/10/25/leadership-caffeine-do-you-have-the-courage-to-kill-your-business-to-save-it/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/10/17/leadership-caffeine-speed-kills-10-situations-to-call-a-timeout/ http://artpetty.com/2011/10/17/leadership-caffeine-speed-kills-10-situations-to-call-a-timeout/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:15:23 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6646 Somewhere on the way to this world we now live and work in, “speed” became a proxy for success. Speed is undoubtedly important, but beware relying on it as the sole indicator of effectiveness. It’s a cruel tyrant, demanding fealty from followers, while discouraging critical and deep thinking and focusing solely on time-to-response as a metric of success. Here are at least 10 situations where you should resist the need for speed and call a timeout:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/10/17/leadership-caffeine-speed-kills-10-situations-to-call-a-timeout/feed/ 3 http://artpetty.com/2011/09/12/leadership-caffeine-always-lead-with-context/ http://artpetty.com/2011/09/12/leadership-caffeine-always-lead-with-context/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:44:02 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6452 Context in this case is that not-so-secret ingredient that helps people understand the idea or issue and how it connects to something important in the workplace. Context provides the basis for understanding and assessing a situation or a request to do something. It has the equivalent workplace outcome of adding yeast to the process of making bread. Without it, everything is flat. Improve performance by providing critical context at the organizational, strategic and personal levels.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/09/12/leadership-caffeine-always-lead-with-context/feed/ 7 http://artpetty.com/2011/09/06/leadership-caffeine-surviving-and-thriving-under-the-tough-empathy-leader/ http://artpetty.com/2011/09/06/leadership-caffeine-surviving-and-thriving-under-the-tough-empathy-leader/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:50:08 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6427 If you work for a leader who practices what Goffee and Jones described in their HBR classic, “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You,” as Tough Empathy, you can expect to be on edge a good deal. Respond well to this demanding but respectful leader’s style, and instead of teetering precariously on the bleeding edge of survival, you will be reaching constantly for the high performance edge. Read this leader incorrectly however, and you might be setting yourself up for a miserable experience.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/09/06/leadership-caffeine-surviving-and-thriving-under-the-tough-empathy-leader/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2011/08/22/leadership-caffeine-fun-at-the-cousins-reunion-with-luck-hope-and-hard-work/ http://artpetty.com/2011/08/22/leadership-caffeine-fun-at-the-cousins-reunion-with-luck-hope-and-hard-work/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:26:15 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6366 Luck, while nice when she smiles on you, is a fickle and elusive relative. She rarely shows up at family events and when she does, it’s all about her. She raises expectations of ridiculous things to insane levels, and then disappears after disappointing, without a word. Hope, is much more accessible than Luck, but in some regards, she is even more frustrating to deal with. Hope is comfortable and comforting, providing us with possibilities, but most often leaving us disappointed. What Hope doesn’t tell you is that she relies on her cousin, Luck, and of course we’ve already established that Luck is undependable. The quiet one in the crowd at this family reunion is Hard Work.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/08/22/leadership-caffeine-fun-at-the-cousins-reunion-with-luck-hope-and-hard-work/feed/ 15 http://artpetty.com/2011/08/15/leadership-caffeine-churchill-on-overcoming-adversity/ http://artpetty.com/2011/08/15/leadership-caffeine-churchill-on-overcoming-adversity/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:54:48 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6329 You’re to be excused if you feel like you live in a world under siege. From wars and violence to natural disasters and man-made financial and governing catastrophes, these are most definitely challenging times. Winston Churchill, the remarkable wartime leader of Great Britain, served as a source of strength and motivation for an entire nation with his dogged determination to survive and ultimately succeed in the face of incredible adversity. And while perhaps today’s situation doesn’t quite rival that of the early 1940’s, a little dose of Churchill seems appropriate at this interesting point in time.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/08/15/leadership-caffeine-churchill-on-overcoming-adversity/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/08/01/leadership-caffeine-respectfully-speaking-lets-cure-respect-deficit-disorder/ http://artpetty.com/2011/08/01/leadership-caffeine-respectfully-speaking-lets-cure-respect-deficit-disorder/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:47:19 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6250 Newsflash: The Center for Leadership Diseases (CLD) has just announced an addition to their growing list of maladies and afflictions running rampant through the leadership and customer service communities. Respect Deficit Disorder (RDD) has officially been added to a list of maladies that includes Two-Dimensional Leader Disease (2DLD) and Tired Leader Syndrome (TLS). In this era of runaway deficits, it seems that the need to treat others…especially those who work for and with us well..it has run away.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/08/01/leadership-caffeine-respectfully-speaking-lets-cure-respect-deficit-disorder/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/07/18/leadership-caffeine-assessing-the-view-on-you/ http://artpetty.com/2011/07/18/leadership-caffeine-assessing-the-view-on-you/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:23:32 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6127 Understanding how big your “perception gap” is and working to close this gap is an important part of your professional development program, regardless of your role. And like everything else in life worth pursuing, measuring and managing your “perception gap” takes time, effort and the willingness to do something about the problem-areas. Here are 11 Actions that will help you measure and manage your perception gap.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/07/18/leadership-caffeine-assessing-the-view-on-you/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/05/16/leadership-caffeine-quit-sending-mixed-signals/ http://artpetty.com/2011/05/16/leadership-caffeine-quit-sending-mixed-signals/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 13:20:56 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5753 How consistent are you in your approaches to dealing with people and problems? Is there an early warning system in place in your office that tracks your every move from the car through the parking lot and into the office? How you respond to people and to situations (victories, losses, mistakes etc.) goes a long way to forming the working environment on your team.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/05/16/leadership-caffeine-quit-sending-mixed-signals/feed/ 5 http://artpetty.com/2011/05/02/leadership-caffeine-in-the-face-of-strong-headwinds-learn-to-tack/ http://artpetty.com/2011/05/02/leadership-caffeine-in-the-face-of-strong-headwinds-learn-to-tack/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 14:35:28 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5715 We face dozens of moments every day where instinct tells us to turn straight into the wind and apply brute force to solve problems, resolve squabbles and keep people moving. Sometimes, our instinct is wrong. Instead of offering a quick solution or mandating an end to squabbling, effective leaders adjust their course by learning to tack. Here are 5 ideas to help you learn this valuable skill when facing significant headwinds in the workplace...

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/05/02/leadership-caffeine-in-the-face-of-strong-headwinds-learn-to-tack/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/04/25/leadership-caffeine-motivate-with-context/ http://artpetty.com/2011/04/25/leadership-caffeine-motivate-with-context/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:15:20 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5690 We waste fortunes inside our organizations on misguided programs and oddball incentives, seeking ways to motivate and inspire people to work hard, innovate, create, care and to live up to their potential, when the real solution is literally on the tip of our tongues. Here are 5 ideas for curing Context Deficit Disorder:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/04/25/leadership-caffeine-motivate-with-context/feed/ 13 http://artpetty.com/2011/04/11/leadership-caffeine-making-time-to-glimpse-the-future-and-re-think/ http://artpetty.com/2011/04/11/leadership-caffeine-making-time-to-glimpse-the-future-and-re-think/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:19:04 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5671 As technology finally begins to catch up to our long-standing vision for how it can positively change our work lives and our businesses, it may just be time for us to rethink our stone-age approaches on how we work. If you’ve not pushed yourself to explore the new tools, and if you are responsible in some form or fashion for pushing the envelope on how your firm competes in the market, engages clients and arms its people to win, it might just be time to spend a few minutes focusing on the future.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/04/11/leadership-caffeine-making-time-to-glimpse-the-future-and-re-think/feed/ 10 http://artpetty.com/2011/04/04/leadership-caffeine-coping-with-workplace-critics/ http://artpetty.com/2011/04/04/leadership-caffeine-coping-with-workplace-critics/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:05:35 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5650 I’ve yet to accomplish anything worth a damn when I didn’t have a fair number of critics lined up and all too happy to tell me why I was out of my mind. It’s a fair bet you’ve seen this before as well. In my experience, the more audacious and creative the idea, program or strategy, the more vocal the critics become. Here are five ideas to help you cope with the worst of your workplace critics.

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