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
Stuff happens. Where you look matters. How your Locus of Control affects your success.
Stuff happens. Where you look matters. You don't control everything that happens to you, but you have far more control over what happens next than you might imagine. My coaching and consulting endeavors put me in front of a wide variety of managers and executives,...
Stuff happens. Where you look matters. How your Locus of Control affects your success.
If something goes wrong, how do you respond? Do you look primarily outward at the external factors that created that outcome…circumstances, other people, luck, management or others? Or, do you focus your attention on what you can influence moving forward? Your locus of control counts in your success.
Thinking of Managing? Six reasons why you might love this role
I run a variation of this post the day before every New(er) Manager Development cohort kick-off. Here are six reasons why you might love the role of manager.
Nine rules turnaround leaders can live by that don’t involve ‘fixing the culture’
Leaders charged with righting foundering organizations often claim “the culture is broken.” However, just as you cannot fix people, experience tells me that focusing on fixing a culture is a fool’s errand. Instead, focus on these nine issues:
Feeling Stuck? Revisit Drucker’s “Managing Oneself” and ask and answer these questions
Peter Drucker’s classic article, “Managing Oneself” is something I read annually. The gold in this article is in his five powerful questions we all need to ask and answer to create alignment between ourselves and our work and lives. I share these and offer six additional questions worth considering.
Leaders, Skip the Annual Resolutions—Use this Hack to Lead More Effectively Daily
For leadership success, skip the annual resolutions and focus on this 5-10 minute daily routine. It’s a powerful way to frame your days with success.
Three of My Favorite Business Reads in 2024
Here are three of my favorite business reads from 2024. Whether you are investing in you or sharing with colleagues, you cannot go wrong with one or all of these three books.
Guidance for New(er) Managers—Skip the Do-as-I-Would Approach
One of the new(er) managers’ most significant mistakes is thinking and acting as if their role is mostly about showing they are super contributors. Skip the Do-as-I-Would style of managing and adopt these key behaviors:
Seven tips to help you succeed when presenting to executives
The invitation to present to your organization’s senior executives is a pivotal career moment. Crush it, and you will make a name for yourself and appear on the radar screen as someone worth watching. Here are seven tips to help:
Enough on Giving Feedback—The Real Success Comes from Learning to Receive It
Feedback is a complicated topic. We lament that our managers are either not good at giving it or don’t give it frequently enough. When we get feedback that challenges us to adjust our behaviors to improve our performance, we grow frustrated, angry, or both. Here are three big tips on strengthening as a receiver of feedback:
Making the Career Move to Manager (or not)
At some point in our careers, many of us dance with the decision to manage or remain on a contributor track. There are some great reasons why this might not be a good for you. Yet, at the right time and in the right culture, don’t rule it out. Here are six big reasons why the career move to manager might be perfect for you.