Wake-Up Calls for Managers
For the hard parts no one prepares you for
When the path isn’t clear, the stakes are high, and the answers aren’t obvious—this is where managers struggle most.
Wake-Up Calls for Managers delivers practical, real-world guidance for navigating:
- Tough conversations
- Leading through uncertainty
- Building influence without authority
- Driving results through others
The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Chronos or Kairos—Is it Your Moment for a Career Change?
Two Views on Time I discovered recently that the ancient Greeks had two different words to explain the idea of time: Chronos and Kairos. The difference between the two is meaningful, especially if you feel the time of your life and career flying by. Chronos is the...
Chronos or Kairos—Is it Your Moment for a Career Change?
I discovered recently that the ancient Greeks had two different words to explain the idea of time: Chronos and Kairos. The difference between the two is meaningful, especially if you feel the time of your life and career flying by.
Art of Managing-Kick Mediocrity to the Curb in Pursuit of Extraordinary
Mediocre is on display daily in too many areas of our society and in too many of our businesses. From the boss who just doesn’t care to our government seemingly barely functioning to the miserable help-lines of too many firms to the slow gait…the shuffle of retail workers at organizations that definitely don’t care, ordinary and average are epidemic. Here are 8 ideas to help you kick mediocrity to the curb in pursuit of extraordinary on your team:
New Leader Tuesday: Dealing with the Personal Problems of Your Team Members
One of the occupational challenges of your role as a manager or supervisor is learning how to navigate the personal issues of your team members that seep (or rush) into the workplace. Here are 5 ideas to help you navigate this sticky situation:
Leadership Caffeine™: A Note for the Boss Who Talks Too Much
If you happen to work for someone who clearly consumes verbal diuretics and suffers an excessive outflow of spoken waste, consider “sharing” the guidance below.
Leadership Caffeine™: The Difference Between Finishers and 70-Percenters
There’s a class of professionals in the world one of my former bosses labeled as “70-Percenters.” They’re the people who are great at making noise, and even getting things started, but they don’t know how to close. They’re not finishers. Here are 5 key behaviors of finishers:
It’s Your Career! Now is the Time to Start Reinventing Yourself
When it comes to your career, the best defense is a good offense. The odds are fairly good that at some point, you will face an unexpected interruption in your employment. The issue isn’t that it happened, it’s what you do once you’re faced with this problem that is critical to your career. Here are 5 ideas to help you jump start your career reinvention now, before the old one disappears:
New Leader Tuesday-7 Ideas to Strengthen Accountability on Your Team
Accountability. Tattoo it on your forearm. Imprint it on your brain. Repeat it three times every morning. And then assert it all day long. Here are 7 ideas to help you strengthen the culture of accountability on your team:
Art of Managing: The Power of a Well-Placed “No”
“No” is one of the most powerful and under-utilized terms in your management vocabulary. Here are ten situations where “No” might be the absolute right call.
New Leader Tuesday: Start Leading Before the Promotion
In Monday’s Leadership Caffeine post, I strongly encouraged senior managers to accelerate the pace of their leadership development activities for their high potentials. Today, it’s your turn. Quit waiting for the boss to bestow the mantle of leadership responsibility on you. Here are 5 ideas to help you gain leadership experience before the title:
Leadership Caffeine™: Accelerate New Leader Development
In my experience, many senior managers move too slowly to expose their developing leaders to new and more challenging situations. This is a mistake that artificially inhibits professional growth and potentially risks losing the interest of your best and brightest emerging leaders. Here are 5 ideas to help you move opportunities along at a faster pace, and a polite reminder that nothing is free. You’re on the hook for coaching every step of the way.