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
Manager, not interested in climbing the ladder but still want to thrive? Develop in these six areas.
To those with managerial experience who strive to do more, the climb does not always matter. It's more about finding a way to scale your impact to thrive in your career. I work with many seasoned managers who are hungry to do more, learn more, and challenge themselves...
Manager, not interested in climbing the ladder but still want to thrive? Develop in these six areas.
If you truly want to thrive and scale your impact without chasing the climb, you’ll invest in yourself and do the heavy lifting essential for growth.
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.
The Problem(s) with One-and-Done Training for Manager Development—And Two New Programs that Solve Those Problems
One-and-done type training programs for manager development consistently fall short. A proper professional development experience blends expert instruction, cohort-based learning/sharing, coaching, and time. For time, the issue is months, not weeks. My thoughts and two new programs that deliver the right blended experience.
5 roadblocks that keep too many from making a career shift—and how to defeat them
For many who toy with the notion of a new career direction, there are roadblocks and gremlins that often keep them from moving forward. Here are five statements I’ve encountered in the past few weeks and my thoughts for moving beyond each. (Hint: you’ll hear a theme in my guidance.)
Senior Leaders: Your New Manager Development Efforts are Failing Your Firm
Unfortunately, many (read: most) organizations are mired in a broken model for new manager development, emphasizing one-and-done training and avoiding longer-range sustained development that blends coaching, mentoring, cohort collaboration, and even executive sponsorship.As a result, too many new managers are left to flail and, if not fail, at least under-perform, wreaking havoc on performance, engagement, and retention.
It’s That Time of Year for Managers—Don’t Make These Mistakes with Your Performance Evaluations
The real work of getting performance evaluations starts long before you reach the time to write and discuss them. Nonetheless, you’re at the 11th hour. Here are some tips you can use at this late date to help you do your best for your team members.