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
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.
When it Pays to Invest in Yourself
Working professionals who choose to not invest in their own skills development and knowledge expansion are effectively saying, “I know enough.” They are defaulting on their futures.”
Why Unilever Buying Dollar Shave Club is Relevant for Your Firm
The acquisition of Dollar Shave Club by Unilever highlights the need for all of us in our businesses to look beyond our traditional approaches. We focus intensely on what we do and how we do it and we fail to see simple alternatives that upstarts can easily exploit at our expense.
Leadership Caffeine™—Can One Person (You) Make a Difference?
I hear the same doubt expressed over and over again by good people upset over conditions in their workplace. It sounds something like: “Can I really make a difference? I’m just one person.” The often unspoken trailer is: “…and I am not the CEO or a senior executive,...
The Top 10 Outcomes from an Art Petty Live Event
One of the happy outcomes of my leadership and management writing is the opportunity to speak and work with great groups of professionals in live settings. This post outlines the Top 10 Outcomes of one of my live events. I would love to work with you and your team!
Great Leadership Remains in the Moment
Too many professionals I encounter add stress to their lives and reduce their effectiveness by forgetting to be in the moment. You cannot change the past but you can control what the future looks like by being present in the here and now.
In Search of Good Operators in Business
We tend to elevate the visionaries in our world to mythological status, when in reality, a good operator is what is needed to save and transform your business. Here’s a reminder on the behaviors of good operators:
Dangerous Words in Business and Six Year-Old Refrigerators
We are often our own worst enemies, especially when it comes to making decisions around failed initiatives (or failing refrigerators). When you hear the words, “with a bit more time and money,” you should run the other way and don’t forget to grab your checkbook.
Leadership Caffeine™—The Cost of a Shortcut
The pressure for results can push people to make small compromises in corporate values. Once you start down this path, the results are potentially catastrophic for you in your career and for your firm. Just ask Volkswagen…
How to Save $1,500 on Leadership Books
The formula for success as a leader is not a secret. In every course, keynote and workshop, I hear people describe the behaviors of the leaders that inspire them. Their formula is consistent and simple: