The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Leadership Development is Indeed Failing Us—Time for a New Approach
A thoughtful and thought-provoking article in the Winter 2024 MIT Sloan Review (tiered paywall) echoes the themes I've outlined here on this blog about organizational failings when selecting a leadership development program. The article, Leadership Development is...
Leadership Development is Indeed Failing Us—Time for a New Approach
When it came to leadership development investments, as an executive, it grew frustrating to send people to name-brand organizations and have them return with a “nice experience,” a big bill, and no visible strengthened abilities or sustained changes.
Leadership Caffeine™—What I Learned on My Leadership Break
After more than a decade of managing and leading, I needed a break. I thought I would find satisfaction in being responsible for just one person: myself. I was wrong. It turns out, leading was a calling, but I needed a leadership break to reset and reframe. I’ve never looked back.
First-Time Manager #15—Leverage Values to Give Your Team a Voice
If you’ve ever worked for a manager who suppressed alternative views and different approaches, you know how oppressive the environment becomes in that situation. A much better approach is to build in the values that promote fierce debate and rapid resolution leading to execution. Of course, this is easier said than done. You as manager own the hard work of creating this environment. Start with the right values.
Career Reinvention—Overcoming Your View on You
For individuals considering a career makeover, it’s imperative to refresh the view on you. To introduce some objectivity into the process and navigate beyond your blindspots, consider asking for help. This article shares a number of ideas to help you better tune-in to others’ perception of your true skills and abilities.
Leadership Power-Up #3—Reframe How You Define Success
There’s a difference between trying not to fail versus striving for success. Here are 4 Leadership Power-Ups to help you spread success across your team or organization.
Leading at the Intersection of Logic and Emotion
As much as we might like to believe people support plans based in good analysis and logic, reality says they act on emotions and in what they perceive is self-interest. This is why effective leaders understand the need to appeal to hearts first and then the minds will follow. This approach helps leaders safely navigate the perilous intersection of of logic and emotion.
Leadership Power-Up #2—Prepare Your Attitude Daily
I have a leadership workshop participant to thank for my all-time favorite technique for preparing for a successful day.
Leadership Caffeine™—Natural Time
We struggle to force the pace of leadership development in our organizations. Instead, we need to adopt a pace that operates on a person’s natural time.
Giving Thanks for Those Who Serve
Veteran’s Day 2017. Giving thanks to those who serve today and those who have served and sacrificed to protect our freedom.
Leadership Power-Up #1—Pay it Forward
A Leadership Power-Up is a positive action you take to strengthen your energy, enthusiasm, and resolve for the hard work of guiding and developing others while driving results. This new series share simple, powerful approaches for powering up your performance as a manager and leader.