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
My Summer 2023 Professional Reading List
My friend Wally Bock publishes a reminder every year for us to make our summer reading lists. That's my cue to build and share mine. I suspect a few of these professional development reads might trickle over onto my into my fall reading; however, it's good to have an...
My Summer 2023 Professional Reading List
Here are my top choices for my personal Summer 2023 Professional Reading list.
Art of Managing—In Searching for Talent, Emphasize Potential
The author builds a case for shifting away from the competency model (core skills and experiences) that has dominated hiring practices for the recent past, to one that emphasizes assessing a candidate’s potential in the form of, “the ability to adapt to ever-changing business environments and grow into challenging new roles.”
Just One Thing—The Impact of a Simple Gesture
There’s a lesson in this situation for any airline or business striving to differentiate in a world where almost everything seems to be some flavor of vanilla. The best marketing always has been and always will be relating to people as individuals and creating a warm, memorable experience.
Leadership Caffeine™—Beware Becoming Part of the Drama
Let’s face it, some people thrive on bringing their personal challenges into the workplace and baring them all for the world to see. These drama kings and queens seem to revel in sharing their own misery with us in a seemingly never-ending series of scenes from the worst tragic Broadway or faux-Shakesperian play ever. Here are 4 ideas to help you avoid becoming part of the drama:
Art of Managing—When People Develop at Their Pace, Not Yours
I’ve encountered more than a few managers who have expressed frustration over the pace of development of someone they have marked for future advancement and increased contribution. For many of these managers, it’s a vexing dilemma with no clear solution. Here are 4 ideas to help you navigate this potentially sticky situation:
Just One Thing—How to Ace Your Next Executive Presentation
While some people view an invitation to present to executives as a prison sentence (or worse), this truly can be a career enhancing opportunity. However, like any challenging situation, preparation and attitude are keys to success. Here are 7 ideas to help you ace your next (or first) presentation to the executives:
Leadership Caffeine™—Your Job is to Clear the Path
The best gift you can provide to your team members is the gift of time. If you’ve got the right team members (with the right values), they’ll respond to your willingness to clear the path with enthusiasm, creativity and commitment. Here are 5 diagnostic questions to help remind you of your need to clear the path ahead for your team members:
Congratulations on the MBA! Now What? Some Key Do’s and Don’ts
All over the U.S., there’s a fresh new crop of MBA candidates preparing to say goodbye to their classmates as they wrap up what will be for many, the final phase of their academic careers. A key question on their minds is, “What’s next?” Here are 10 key Do’s and Don’ts for the newly minted MBA:
Just One Thing—Learn to Recognize Your Strengths
To the extent that we struggle to see our own weaknesses, we are remarkably naïve and blind to our strengths. This gap in our own view-of-self is in my experience more detrimental to career success and personal-professional satisfaction than the issues surrounding our alleged weaknesses. Here are at least 4 barriers that get in the way of seeing our own strengths:
Leadership Caffeine™—What to Do When the Mistakes Don’t Go Away
Mistakes in the workplace are inevitable. After all, we’re human, and try as we might to operate error free, our own software is far from perfect and we occasionally let one slip through the filters. In some circumstances, mistakes are a healthy part of the learning process. In others, they’re a sign that is something wrong on the personal front and you need to step in and offer help. And in other circumstances, they’re a sign that you’re not doing your job as a manager to maintain appropriate quality and accountability standards.