The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Leadership Caffeine™—If You’re Leading Change, Expect Flak
A guest speaker in one of my recent workshops was asked how to know when you’re on the right track leading a transformation initiative. His answer, offered with a laugh, “Expect cynicism followed by criticism,” is more truth than humor. In the same vein, a late friend...
Leadership Caffeine™—If You’re Leading Change, Expect Flak
Don’t let the flak derail your transformation initiative. Instead, dive in to understand the core of any resistance better and strive to build your coalition. Transformation initiatives succeed on the strength of relationships, not ideas.
Best of Leadership Caffeine™: A Leader’s Resolutions are Calendar Blind
While it is natural for us to focus on resolutions as we approach the new year, the best leaders understand that improved performance requires an unrelenting, year-long focus on personal and professional development. Instead of joining the masses in pursuit of a ridiculous list of soon-to-be forgotten resolutions (along with those fitness goals), consider this approach to continuous leadership improvement:
Two Great Blogs and a Best of Leadership Caffeine™ post
Note from Art: I’m taking a few days off over the holidays to focus on family and recharge my writing batteries. I plan on completing the second round edits of my next book, aptly titled, Leadership Caffeine, and I’m preparing a few other blogging surprises for the new year. However, if you happen to be hungry for stimulating content, here are a few suggestions to help you through this typically quiet week. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours
Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours
Family Time, Writing Time and Cookie Time!
After wrapping up some business today, I plan on moving quickly into family mode. Rumor has it that I’m in charge of cookie decorations this afternoon and present deliveries tomorrow.
Smiles, Sales and Leadership
I enjoy observing how the help in stores engage with their customers. What you see and hear speaks volumes about the leaders they work for. Want to know how people feel about their jobs and their bosses? It’s on their faces. Employees mirror the treatment they receive from their leaders.
Art Guest Posts at Lead Change, My Next Book & Other Updates
I confess to focusing a great deal recently on the future of leadership. This was evident in my guest post, “The Great and Perilous Leadership Journey Ahead,”at Tanveer Naseer’s site, and in today’s essay, “Leadership Guidance for Our Children.” at the Lead Change site. And while you’re visiting Lead Change, be certain to check out the many great blog posts from some truly outstanding leadership writers and thinkers.
Leadership Caffeine™: How to Appropriately Respond to Positive Praise
It’s easy to start believing the praise you hear in the hallways about your leadership approach. Easy and dangerous. I’ve always been leery of the unfounded and saccharine-sweet praise that is bestowed upon leaders. While you may call me cynical, I prefer to think of myself as pragmatic. Here are five ideas for appropriately responding to positive praise:
Management Excellence Book Review: Management? It’s Not What You Think
I confess to having a proclivity for essay collections when it comes to reading about management. Essays move along quickly and they offer the reader the opportunity to capture quick sound bites over breakfast, on the train or in other ideal reading rooms. Also, there’s the reality that many management books struggle to adequately fill the space between the book-covers, offering up their best in the introduction, the first chapter and the wrap-up chapter. Here are my thoughts on: Management? It’s Not What You Think! by Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lampel.
Management Excellence Book Series: Six Disciplines Execution Revolution with Gary Harpst
I started this book series to share the insights and approaches of some truly sharp people on solving vexing business problems. This particular interview with Gary Harpst, author of, Six Disciplines Execution Revolution and the earlier Six Disciplines for Excellence, taps into Gary’s hard won, practical experience and his great ideas on helping small and mid-sized businesses deal with strategy execution. Enjoy the thoughtful, actionable and experience-tested guidance from Gary in our podcast interview!