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
If “Next” for Your Career is On Your Mind, This is a Great Place to Start
What’s Next for You in Your Career? It Can Be a Vexing Issue! For many individuals, figuring out what’s next in their careers is a vexing problem. That’s why I’ve created a new workshop program to help. Introducing the Six-Hour Career Energize Saturday Series. In...
If “Next” for Your Career is On Your Mind, This is a Great Place to Start
For many individuals, figuring out what’s next in their careers is a vexing problem. That’s why I’ve created a new workshop program to help. Introducing the Six-Hour Career Energize Saturday Series.
Systems Thinking Meets Platform Strategy and Social Media via Nike+
While I admit to being one of those people who views the idea of running as much more attractive than the actual running part (thus far, I’ve been satisfied to pass runners on my Specialized Road Bike, thank you), I’m blown away by Nike’s strategy with their Digital Plus business and specifically, their Nike+ program for runners. If you are not a member of Nike+ or, if you are not familiar with it, put on your strategy and marketing glasses and take a close look at what they are doing to differentiate, build communities and increase the dialogue with their customers.
Modern Pricing Traps and General Customer Disservice-A Rant
This one is tongue-in-cheek, laced with a great deal of hyperbole and fueled by a strong sense of outrage over the proliferation of bad pricing programs and even worse customer support tactics.
Leadership Caffeine™-12 Shots of Leadership Espresso
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:
Leaders, Tattoo this Causal Relationship on Your Forearms
I’ve been mildly surprised that the book, Beyond Performance-How Great Organizations Build Competitive Advantage by Scott Keller and Colin Price, hasn’t commanded more attention in mainstream business circles. Perhaps we’ve grown numb to the almost endless number of books purporting to show us the way to sustained success. However, don’t let the existence of 25,000 or so books published on managing change during the past two decades, blind you to some of the important and data-backed conclusions of Beyond Performance. Here are some reasons why this may be one of the more important books you will read this decade:
Leadership Caffeine™-What Do You Do with a Team that has Failed?
We’re often too quick as leaders to throw in the towel on teams that have whiffed. That’s a mistake that may be more costly to performance and morale than the initial and temporary failure. Here are 5 signs that your failed team merits more time:
Friday Leadership and Management Sound-Bites
Though-provoking quotes from my current management and leadership reading stack. If you are looking for some thought-provoking leadership and management reading, here are a few great choices:
Beware Professional Performance Drift
The concept of performance drift (for professionals) is wonderfully outlined by John Hamm, writing in his recently published book, Unusually Excellent: The Nine Skills Required for the Practice of Great Leadership. Here are my added thoughts on helping you recognize and slow your own professional performance drift:
Leadership Caffeine™-Get Invested in Developing Your New Leaders
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:
Newsletter #2 Next Week & Art’s Writings Last Week
Look for the latest issue of the Leadership Caffeine Newsletter (subscriber only content) next week. And in case you missed it, here are links to Art’s posts on decision-making, strategy and career survival from last week. Enjoy your weekend!