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
A Manager’s Operating System and How it Guides Them
The Critical Connection Between a Manager and Engagement I work with 300 to 500 managers across my various programs and dozens more in coaching activities each year. These are individuals from every sector of our economy and operating at all levels, from the front...
A Manager’s Operating System and How it Guides Them
We’re at an all-hands, and all brains required time in our world, and the pressure is on those who manage to tap into the potential of their team members and teams. The Manager’s Operating System is a powerful tool to help create engagement and build high-performance.
Management Excellence Holiday Reading List-Part 1
In case you’re looking for gift suggestions for the professional in your life or, you’re thinking of spending some holiday time on your own professional development, I’m offering a few thoughts in a series of posts this week. In this first part, I stick close to the leadership and management world. Parts 2 and 3 will offer suggestions from the world of biography, innovation and self-development.
Words are Insufficient
Much like everyone else, I am struggling to process the tragedy in Newtown last Friday. Words are insufficient and I won’t try to make sense of this senseless nightmare.
Leadership Caffeine™-Guiding Your Team off the Whiteboard into Action
Those first few steps towards action…those first movements beyond the whiteboard and into practice are some of the most difficult steps for many teams and organizations. Here are 7 ideas to help you get beyond the discussions in pursuit of change:
Leadership Caffeine™-Build Credibility through Confidence and Clarity
While there are many ingredients in the recipe for developing as an effective leader, two that provide a healthy percentage of the raw materials for your success include: people’s perception of your self-confidence, and their perception of your ability to clearly articulate yourself. Fail at one or the other, and your road to success is a good deal more treacherous.
New Leader Tuesday-A Checklist for Effective Feedback Discussions
Feedback properly delivered is a powerful leadership tool. It helps eliminate lousy behaviors and strengthen good behaviors in support of your team’s or firm’s goals. You will be well served investing the time and energy to master this important discipline. Here are 6 items to think about in support of more effective feedback discussions:
Leadership Caffeine™-Learn to Guide Group Discussions for Better Results
Too many group discussions in the workplace are journeys to nowhere in particular.Learning to actively lead group discussions is an essential skill for leaders and individual contributors in today’s project focused and heavily matrixed organizational settings. Here are 7 common group discussion traps and the techniques that the best guides use to help us side-step them:
At Least 11 More Ideas to Help You Run Effective Meetings
Having fulfilled my lifetime quota of attendance at poorly run meetings, I’ve developed a bit of a crusade mentality to guide others on how to run these sessions effectively. Here are my latest top 11 ideas for taming the meeting beast and actually getting something out of these infernal sessions. Please add to the list and we’ll all save some time and aggravation!
Leadership Caffeine™-Encourage Rethinking to Keep Your Team Sharp
Beware the dulling effect of a predictable routine on the performance of your team. It might just be the single most dangerous adversary standing between you and future success. Here are 5 ideas to help you breakthrough routine and encourage rethinking:
New Leader Tuesday-Know the Power of a Well-Placed “Thank You”
I don’t hear the phrase “Thank You” in the workplace nearly enough. It’s two simple words wrapped in one heartfelt comment of appreciation that offers up a whole heaping helping of genuine respect. All of this from one of the first phrases that Mom ever taught us.