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 Simple, Powerful Fix for Feedback Problems on Your Team
Feedback is Confusing to Get Right Of all the challenges managers at all levels face, delivering constructive (and even positive) feedback is near the top of the list. There's good reason—it's a confusing topic that even the experts who study human psychology and...
A Simple, Powerful Fix for Feedback Problems on Your Team
Of all the challenges managers at all levels face, delivering constructive (and even positive) feedback is near the top of the list. There’s good reason—it’s a confusing topic that even the experts who study human psychology and neuroscience disagree on, despite mountains of research. Here are four ideas to help strengthen your feedback culture and effectiveness.
Marketing Hall of Shame-Bludgeoning Your Customers is a Bad Idea
Imagine my surprise when in a fit of insanity, I picked up the phone the other night….right after dinner (well, I answered because the caller i.d. indicated the Hotel Chain’s name, and because the troops had the dishes will in hand), and I ended up on the receiving end of an old-fashioned marketing bludgeoning. Seriously, Hotel Chain! You think so highly of the relationships with your clients that you’re engaging in tactics like this to reward them for years of business.
Leadership Caffeine™: Frame Carefully to Improve Discussion Quality
Decisions propel people, teams and organizations forward. Get more right than wrong…especially the big ones, and the only thing standing in the way of success is the critical issue of execution. And of course, most decisions start with a discussion. One of your...
Leadership, Unrealized Potential and the Sad Passing of Amy Winehouse
As a leader, you have a choice to search for greatness in your people. Your actions, your word….your efforts to nudge or push or help people develop, is what you are supposed to be about. In your own small or big way, you’re supposed to be a contributor to greatness.
Have Space Ship Will Travel-In Celebration and In Memoriam
The last Space Shuttle of this era has returned and the program is officially grounded for good. There are a remarkable number of leadership and management lessons as well as a fierce debate about importance and economics that all swirl around the space program. Just for today, let’s put those aside and remember and wonder and give thanks to those who served and to remember those who perished. The debates can continue another day.
The Votes Have Been Counted-July Leadership Challenge
Although the case lives on and discussion is always “in-session,” the voting for the July Leadership Development Round Table Challenge is now closed. Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership, was the leading vote earner, in a closely contested and well debated case. Congratulations to Dan!
Podcast: Helping Cancer Patients by Running 100 Miles for Life
A few weeks ago, I shared a guest post from a good friend, Ted Friedman, who started: 100 Miles for Life, an ultra-marathon event and charitable campaign in support of The Gathering Place, in Cleveland, Ohio. This podcast is a follow-on, and offers you a chance to hear personally from Ted about this great cause and about this ultra-marathon race. While we’re here for the fundraiser, those of you interested in running…especially crazy distances like 100 miles at a time, will enjoy Ted’s commentary on training his body and mind for the event.
Leadership Caffeine™: Assessing the View on You
Understanding how big your “perception gap” is and working to close this gap is an important part of your professional development program, regardless of your role. And like everything else in life worth pursuing, measuring and managing your “perception gap” takes time, effort and the willingness to do something about the problem-areas. Here are 11 Actions that will help you measure and manage your perception gap.
Leadership Lessons from the High Seas
Note from Art: great friend and valued former colleague, Chris Colbert, graciously supplied this wonderful post following his recent experience with his sons and Scout troop at Sea Base. Here are 12 leadership lessons that Chris and the Scouts learned along the way:
July Leadership Development Round Table Challenge
It’s time for the July Leadership Development Round Table Challenge! You may recall from last month’s inaugural event, this is where we put forth a vexing situation and a number of regular contributors plus one guest take the opportunity to share their best thoughts on how to handle it… in 200 words or less. You vote with your comments and with your actual vote, and after one week of fierce but professional debate, a winner is announced.