The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Leadership Caffeine™—”This Is the Way It Should Be”
Working With Others Can Be Painful. It Shouldn't Be! Teaming and collaboration experiences happen in all walks of our professional and personal lives. Some experiences working with others are draining, others passable, and just a few are energizing and even fun....
Leadership Caffeine™—”This Is the Way It Should Be”
Teaming and collaboration experiences happen in all walks of our professional and personal lives. Some experiences working with others are draining, others passable, and just a few are energizing and even fun and successful. You can hope these fun, productive experiences emerge by chance. Or you can be deliberate about creating the conditions that improve the possibility of a great collaboration experience. I opt for improving our odds of bringing one of these productive, fun experiences to life. Here are four ideas to help:
Leadership Caffeine™: Change or Learn to Say, “Would You Like Fries with That?”
Much of the pablum that is passed off for guidance on leading others ignores the reality that the context in which we lead has changed from just a few years ago, and it continues to change faster than any of us can truly understand. While it’s a bit disheartening to realize that those of us with much time under our belts and more than a few laps around the block of life are vestiges of a bygone business era, we are. That doesn’t mean we can’t be relevant, but first, we have to understand and accept some of the important contextual changes in our world of business:
Strategy-Towards Hypotheses, Experiments, Involvement & Learning
Few would argue that a nimble, quick-to-learn and quick-to-adapt organization is a bad thing. Given the rate of change in our world, those characteristics are increasingly table-stakes for survival and success. Why then has the approach to strategy and the notion of “strategic planning” in so many organizations remained mired in a 1960’s kind of static, top-down event-focused model? Here are six ideas to transform your organization’s approach to and effectiveness with strategy.
Leadership Caffeine™: Warning! Your Words About Change are Falling on Cynical Ears
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:
The Heavy Lifting of Career (Re) Invention-5 Keys to Moving Forward
Whether you are a few years removed from college or a few years removed from that time when prior generations began thinking about retiring, chances are, you or someone you know is involved in defining or redefining their career. It’s a daunting task in a world where the old rules no longer apply. Here are 5 key areas for you to focus on as you move forward with this challenging work:
It’s Always About Leadership
Leaders step up during times of crisis. This is where people in positions of responsibility finally earn the right to the “L” label. Unfortunately, in this instance, much like just about every other crisis we’ve created or viewed, leadership seems to take a holiday, replaced by “everyone for himself” and “it’s not my fault.”
Leadership Caffeine™-Success One Step at a Time
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.
Are You Running in Place When it Comes to Your Professional Development?
Unlike the resolutions that so many of us make in January and discard just as quickly by February, our own professional development requires a deliberate and consistent effort to improve. Here are 7 ideas to help you stop running in place and start moving forward.
Leadership Caffeine™: For Better Results, Quit Telling and Start Letting Go
The odd quirk that seems to bedevil so many who occupy roles of responsibility for others is their overwhelming urge to tell other people what to do. While a certain amount of “telling” is OK, particularly during crises and anything involving safety or security, for the most part, your communication efforts should focus on listening and asking. Starting this year, shift the focus to you and your role and your daily habits, and for everyone’s sake, quit telling people how to do their jobs. Here are 9 ideas to help you in this endeavor.
Thoughts on Your Personal and Professional Success in the New Year
I was truly gifted in 2011 to gain access to and work with and support some remarkable professionals across a number of different market segments…from high tech to professional services to manufacturing, and I learned something with every engagement and encounter. Here are Six Lessons Learned that Can Help Us All in the New Year: