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 return of the manager as a character in a horror story?
The toxic manager style is alive and functioning in too many organizations. In my practice, I hear from clients daily about the approaches and tactics of these managers—some responding to the pressures from above and others seemingly thriving in leading by...
A return of the manager as a character in a horror story?
The toxic manager style is alive and functioning in too many organizations. In my practice, I hear from clients daily about the approaches and tactics of these managers—some responding to the pressures from above and others seemingly thriving in leading by intimidation. This latter group—those thriving by promoting fear—are the stuff of evil characters in a horror story.
Leadership Caffeine™—Fear the Conversations You’re Not Having
The conversations I genuinely worry about are the ones that aren’t taking place. As a leader, just thinking about what’s not getting talked about should scare the daylights out of you.
Career Reinvention Journal—There’s a Process, But It’s Messy
The decision to embark on a career reinvention process is non-trivial. If you do, prepare yourself for a process that includes ample learning and regular iteration between the stages. Much like running a marathon, your commitment to sustaining the process determines your outcome.
A Beginner’s Mind Helps Solve the New Manager Conundrum
My online dictionary defines conundrum as a confusing or difficult problem. The dictionary editors might as well use the act of moving from individual contributor to new manager as the leading example.
For the Big Decisions, You’ve Got to Wrestle Ambiguity
The struggle over the big decisions is the inherent ambiguity. The unknowns are overwhelming. Fear of getting it wrong floods our minds and our brains struggle for traction in the muck. Nonetheless, these are the times when you have to stand up and cut through the fog of ambiguity.
For Success, Cultivate a Communication Style that Shows You Care
From feedback and coaching discussions to interchanges with coworkers who can say, “Yes” or “No” to your requests for resources, process changes, budgetary allocations or fresh ideas, there’s no end to the critical communication situations we encounter at work. I find that just a few common-sense, authentic communication tactics improve your success and strengthen your credibility as well.
Leadership Caffeine™—Attitude
The term, attitude gets a bad rap most of the time. We associate attitude with words such as bad, uncooperative, truculent, antagonistic. When was the last time you heard someone say, “That person has an attitude,” and you interpreted it as a compliment? Attitude needs a p.r. campaign.
10 Lessons Learned In Search of Success as a Leader
There are no courses, books, or even alchemical formulas that replace the hard work essential for learning to lead. Here are 10 hard-won lessons for anyone in search of success as a leader:
Leadership Caffeine™—Resilience and Courage
The next time you come face-to-face with someone offering different ideas or coming from a world you don’t know or understand, slow-down and listen. And then listen harder. Don’t let the pressure to conform with convention keep you from the right decision.
How To Succeed When You’re Working With a Coach
If you’re fortunate enough to be working with a coach in your professional or personal life, know that there’s a formula for success with this endeavor. Success starts with the right mindset—a beginner’s mind—and the commitment to listening, processing, and applying and experimenting with yourself and your behaviors daily. In other words, it’s hard work. Here are five additional ideas that will help you succeed: