The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Tired of the drama storm? Effective managers write the rules of the road with their teams
Is there a drama storm on your team? In my informal survey of coaching clients, workplace drama is all too prevalent and distracting. Managers are tired of officiating the he said/she said/they didn't/I can't work with... issues that creep up in daily work. "It's...
Tired of the drama storm? Effective managers write the rules of the road with their teams
In my informal survey of coaching clients, workplace drama is all too prevalent and distracting. Managers are tired of officiating the he said/she said/they didn’t/I can’t work with… issues that creep up in daily work. They are looking for a solution—something that places responsibility where it belongs. I teach my managers to write the Rules of the Road with their team members to solve this problem.
Rethinking Emerging Leader Identification and Development
Growing the leadership pipeline is mission critical for every organization. Unfortunately, this process is either missing in action or based on old-world approaches in too many organizations. This articles offers 6 ideas to jump-start your thinking on refreshing and reinvigorating your emerging leader development efforts.
Rethinking Effective Followership in the Workplace
Few of us are exposed to what it means to follow effectively, yet followership is requisite for success in every organizational and business setting. This article offers a fresh perspective on the role and 8 key behaviors of effective followers.
Never Forget
The best of our society are those brave men and women who selected service in support of country over self. Our way of life and our hope for the future rests on the foundation so many have labored so long and sacrificed so much for in our still young country. To those...
Treat Your Career as an Adventure into Parts Unknown
Instead of worrying about career planning, treat your professional work as a series of adventures and explorations, and prepare accordingly.
4 Big Gaps to Close in Your Emerging Leader Program
Most executives and CEOs agree on the importance of identifying and developing leadership talent in their firms. However, many emerging leader developpment programs have one or more key gaps. This article identifies four of the most common gaps and offers ideas to eliminate them and improve results.
Remote Working Reset? View from Afar
Remote work policies are under fire in technology and other pioneers of this practice. IBM’s recent announcement that all remote workers must either rejoin a physical IBM location or leave the company is the latest example. After a decade of living and supporting remote working in my technology companies, I still see some pros and cons, but it is not a binary issue.
First-Time Manager #6—Navigating the Jump From Peer to Boss
The transition from peer to boss is awkward, clumsy, and filled with opportunities to misstep. This article offers 9 ideas to help guide you through this process.
Leadership Caffeine™—You Decide
I hate learning about interesting leaders once they are gone. The same goes for remarkable musicians, except the musician’s output lingers, potentially inspiring new generations. The leader’s wisdom fades along with those they touched directly. Here’s some wisdom worth passing on via your own actions:
How to Deal with an Employee Who Is Making You Ill
Almost every manager can relate to having to navigate a toxic employee situation. If managed improperly (or ignored), it can actually make you ill. This article offers some guidance on dealing fairly and firmly with this situation.









