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
Four Steps to Harness the Power of Quality Feedback
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) It's your job as a manager to build a healthy culture for your team. Part of this culture includes the universal recognition of the need to receive and give feedback in all three directions (up, down, and sideways). Effective managers take...
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.
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.
Two New Mentoring Programs for First-Time Managers
The transition from contributor to manager is awkward, clumsy, and filled with potential pitfalls. My two new First-Time Manager mentoring programs are designed to help ease the transition and increase the odds of success.
First-Time Manager #5—Asking Versus Telling
It’s easy to fall into the trap of telling versus asking. Telling is fast and ensure that the work gets done to your standards. It’s also the height of laziness and a profoundly powerful way to show your lack of respect for your team members. Try asking instead of telling. You will be surprised with the results.
Leadership Caffeine™—Reality Check
Enjoy those days when all seems to be good in the universe. Just watch out for that reality check about to blindside you!
Can Leadership Be Reduced to an Algorithm?
As machine learning and brain science advance with remarkable speed, it’s not implausible to imagine leadership behaviors reduced to a component of a master algorithm. Thankfully, there are some distinctly human attributes that may be difficult to capture in this format. Use them as if your survival as a leader depended on it.