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:
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.
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.
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.
Enjoy those days when all seems to be good in the universe. Just watch out for that reality check about to blindside you!
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.
It's too easy to let the personal problems of our coworkers or employees become our problems. Beware the emerging drama storm as a new manager, and take steps to keep the discussion focused on the business of business.
The general guidance on building effective teams is right, it's just often not specific enough. Here are 4 keys to building your great team that don't get enough consideration in most workplaces:
It turns out, a good part of success is tuning in to our true purpose and mission. It's a lofty or squishy sounding topic that is made tangible if we spend some time uncovering our unique backstories. The events that have shaped us as humans give life and purpose to us as professionals.
Cultivating the skills and confidence to navigate constructive (negative) and positive feedback discussions is a game changer for any manager. Unfortunately, most first-time managers have received little to no training for this important performance tool. The good news is that armed with an understanding of the building blocks of effective feedback discussions and ample practice, you can learn to master this important management skill.
