The Leadership Caffeine Blog
The myth of ‘just let your work speak for itself’ Influence Fitness Series #1
Overheard: “I don’t understand it. My team consistently delivers. For the last project, we did the work of several teams and hit the deadline, yet I’m not getting credit for it.” “I quietly deliver great results, and while my boss seems to appreciate and count on me,...
The myth of ‘just let your work speak for itself’ Influence Fitness Series #1
Getting ahead in the workplace is a blend of several important factors, including your abilities, results, alignment with your boss, culture fit, and others. Yet, there’s an X-factor that too many good people overlook: influence born of relationships in the right places.
Feeling Invisible at Work? It’s Time for Action
If you’ve been passed over for promotion opportunities or you find yourself relegated to less-than-strategic initiatives in your organization, that creeping sense of irrelevance you are feeling might be real. As the late Andy Grove offered, “Only the paranoid survive.” Let’s channel this paranoia into some focused actions to regain your relevance.
Bad Day as a Leader? Smile and Keep Marching
Not every day in your life as a leader is a party complete with cake and ice cream. When you encounter one of those days where everything seems to be working against you, it’s time to force a smile and keep marching.
Four Steps to Harness the Power of Quality Feedback
In every healthy working environment, quality feedback flows in three directions: up, down, and sideways. Here are four steps for managers to take to bring the power of quality feedback to life on their teams.
Thank You to Wally Bock and Three Star Leadership
My good friend and mentor-from-a-distance, Wally Bock, announced yesterday that he will no longer be adding content to his fabulous and long-running Three Star Leadership Blog. Wally is shifting gears to focus on his book writing/coaching practice. In this article, I share my thanks and great regard for someone who has inspired me for years.
FIve Big Ideas to Help Get New Manager Development Right
Managers are the individuals we need to create engagement, deliver quality results, and serve as critical enablers of change and adaptation in our world. And if Gallup. is even half right with their measures of disengagement and their pointing to managers as the cause, we’re failing at manager development. Here are five big ideas to help.
Reaching for the Executive Ranks? Part Two—Cultivating Executive Presence
I’m fascinated by the topic of executive presence and particularly by the feedback many receive that sounds like, “You need to work on strengthening your executive presence.” This feedback typically leaves people stressed and needing clarification. In this article, I strive to demystify executive presence and offer some tips and resources for strengthening yours.
Reaching for the executive ranks? Cultivate these five skillsets—part one, developing as a strategist
While today’s career world for many is about something other than “The Climb,” my coaching ranks and workshop programs are filled with individuals striving to scale their impact and, for many, gain a seat at the executive table. If you are motivated to grow your responsibilities and engage at a senior management level, you must cultivate your knowledge and skills in five critical areas. In part one of this series, I focus on developing as a strategist.
How to create focus in your work (and personal) life to stimulate success
But, creating and maintaining focus is a battle. I often fail until I remind myself yet again of what’s important and then take action to cut out the noise and distractions. Here are some ideas to help you create focus on your path to success:
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.