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
Designing A Bug-Free Operating System for Great Managers
Rethinking the Operating System Needed for Manager Success Late last year, I shared an article at SmartBrief on Leadership, introducing the idea of the Manager's Operating System—a set of core programs or instructions that must be present to create a healthy working...
Designing A Bug-Free Operating System for Great Managers
Rethinking the Operating System Needed for Manager Success Late last year, I shared an article at SmartBrief on Leadership, introducing the idea of the Manager's Operating System—a set of core programs or instructions that must be present to create a healthy working...
Just One Thing-A Lousy Boss is No Excuse to Let the Fires Burn
Some organizations seem to perpetuate a culture that generates talk and hand wringing and teeth gnashing on issues, but little constructive action. Instead of letting the heat from 1,000 smoldering fires melt away your spirit and initiative, take action, grab a hose and form a bucket brigade. Do something…just don’t stand around and watch things burn.
Leadership Caffeine™-Is it Time to Re-examine the Leader You’ve Become?
Taking time to reflect and re-examine your role and performance as a leader offers nothing but growth opportunities for yourself and for those who look to you to lead. Here are 5 ideas to help you reboot your drive to excel as a leader:
Leadership Caffeine™—3 Situations to Quality Check Your Gut Instinct
While it’s clear our guts don’t do any heavy lifting when it comes to making decisions, that sense we describe as “gut feeling” is something most of us rely on to guide us through life’s challenges. However, there are at least 3 key situations where senior leaders should develop the discipline to quality check their gut instincts:
Leadership Caffeine™—6 Ideas to Help You Prosper During Periods of Change
Contrary to how many people view and respond to change in the workplace, it’s been my experience that periods of organizational adjustment typically represent big fat beach balls of opportunity for those willing to pitch in and help. Here are 6 ideas to help you adjust to and prosper during periods of organizational change:
5 Ideas to Keep Your Culture from Having Your Strategy for Lunch
Every leader who has grappled with a shift in strategy for their firm understands the powerful gravitational pull of organizational culture. Here are 5 ideas to help ensure you respect and leverage the culture during periods of change:
Leaders, Beware the Imposters: Triumph and Disaster
Triumph, that moment in time when we have vanquished our competitors or achieved a level of performance long desired, is the moment of our greatest vulnerability. Leading from a point of success is challenging. Disaster breeds its’ own set of leadership challenges. The best leaders follow Kipling’s advice and treat these imposters the same.
Leadership Caffeine™-It’s Not Your Leadership, It’s the Cause
Leadership by Cause invites greatness to the party. Anything less than a clear, galvanizing, shared cause, promotes compliance-type performance and typically mediocre results. Here are Six ideas to help you identify and promote a cause that inspires in your organization:
Just One Thing: Rewrite the Rules If You Dare
One of the most difficult but potentially compelling plays in strategy is to redefine the rules of the game. Those who write the new rules…and get them to stick, win.
New Leader Tuesday: Engage, Inform, Inspire
Those who look back and reflect upon the start-up period in their first leadership role will frequently describe this stage as having been awkward or uncomfortable. The transition from individual contributor to supervisor or manager is abrupt for many and lonely for most. Building your priorities and daily activities around the mantra, Engage, Inform, Inspire, can help you cultivate the good habits of effective leaders.