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
7 Reasons Why all new(er) managers should join this group coaching program
I'm excited to share a great new group coaching program for new(er) managers. (New to 2-3 years.) 7 Reasons Why All New Managers Should Join This Group Coaching Program: 1. It's just the right support/help/inspiration/motivation/guidance you need when you're newer to...
7 Reasons Why all new(er) managers should join this group coaching program
Coaching offers powerful growth opportunities for every professional. This unique, new program brings group coaching to those new(er) to managing to support them building a great foundation and navigating the challenges of shifting from contributor to manager. In this article, I share seven reasons why this might be the perfect development experience for you or the new(er) managers on your team.
High Performance Management—Courage and Business Transformation
The topic of transformation is a challenging one for all management teams. It’s not surprising that few muster the collective courage necessary to transform their organizations even in the face of sustained headwinds or looming crisis.
New Leader Tuesday—Learning from Your Communication Mistakes
You will make many communication mistakes in your formative role as someone responsible for the work of others. It takes time and more than a few mistakes to recognize your need to understand the communication preferences of your team members and to learn to tailor your approach. Here are 4 communication lessons learned the hard way and some guidance for helping you avoid these missteps:
Leadership Caffeine™ Are You Making Time for the Big Topics?
When it comes to the forward-looking issues around talent, team and strategy development, the uncomfortable answer to the question in the headline for this post for just about all of us (myself included) is, “Not enough.” Here are 4 ideas to help you manufacture time for the critical developmental and strategy discussions needed to push your business forward:
Friday Leadership Ideas to Help You Finish the Week Strong for August 7, 2015
Every week I share a few ideas to help you finish strong. For this week, I encourage you to revisit the connection between your/your team’s goals and your firm’s strategies and to reach out to your geographically dispersed colleagues. Additionally, I offer up some ideas on exciting new business books and I point you to this month’s great collection of leadership writing at the August 2015 Leadership Development Carnival. A great ending sets the stage for a fantastic new week!
Cultivating A Constructive Response to Momentary Failure
The most successful people I’ve worked with are incredibly adept at navigating those moments of mental devastation we call failure. For anyone striving to achieve something big, great or new, failure is an inevitable part of the process of striving for success. It’s part of learning and growing and while it hurts momentarily, successful professionals process the experience in a very different fashion than those who are more easily derailed. Here are 5 constructive responses to navigating a momentary setback:
Ideas for Professional and Performance Growth for the Week of August 2, 2015
Every week I offer ideas to encourage you to stretch and grow with my ideas for Do/Experiment/Explore. For this week, I offer ideas on strengthening team performance, leveraging your operations meetings to promote managerial skills development and learning to mess with your competitors just enough to keep them off balance. Use them in great professional health!
Friday Leadership Ideas to Help You Finish Strong for July 31, 2015
Every week I share a few ideas to help you finish strong. For this week, I offer ideas on mixing up your routine to spark energy, gaining much needed marketplace context and planning for success in the new month.
Art of Managing—5 Big Lessons Learned from My Hiring Mistakes
Over an extended career, you will make more than one hiring mistake. I guarantee it. No hiring manager escapes unscathed in this process. While a misfire is inevitable, this painful mistake (for you, your firm and the hire) is packed with some powerful life and career lessons. Here are 5 big lessons I’ve learned the hard way:
Leadership Caffeine™—Resist the Urge to Shield Your Team from Bad News
In difficult situations, reality tinged with optimism and backed by encouragement serves as a more effective motivator than a saccharine-sweet message of false praise and manufactured positivity.