Much like the alchemist’s search, discovering the “just right” leadership style in today’s maelstrom of issues and wicked problems is elusive. Yet, for those striving to lead successfully, there is hope, and it comes in the form of a blended, adaptive model of leading.
In Part 3 of this series, the emphasis is on managing the discussions successfully with empathy and clarity. It turns out when the feedback discussion goes off the rails, as happens all too often, it’s because empathy and clarity were nowhere to be found.
We place extraordinary amounts of pressure on our leaders to solve the big problems in front of us. In reality, they don’t have the answers. They are looking for individuals to provide ideas that point to solutions. Here are five ideas you can use today to help and start leading without authority:
I love the “clean power” approach to cultivating influence because it’s how I choose to conduct myself. Many others have adopted their version of it for similar reasoning. However, not everyone plays by rules you deem fair, and not everyone has your interests at heart. Here are four ideas to help you survive and thrive when you find yourself working in a sharp-elbowed environment.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of the areas in our organizations where thinking differently is essential for survival and success. Teaming, strategy and problem-solving all loom large and merit this treatment. However, starting with the role and work of leaders and the processes for adding talent to the team and supporting their development are perfect entry points.
We talk a big game about teams in business, yet often they disappoint. Raise your hand if you’ve been on a so-called team that devolved into a debating society that went nowhere. Regardless of outcomes and experiences, we continue to throw teams at issues expecting or hoping for magic. It turns out, hope is a lousy strategy because team development demands deliberate focus and hard work.
It’s an understatement to suggest this is a time for creative problem-solving in our organizations. Yet, too often, we react to symptoms or throw solutions at poorly defined problems. The failure to get to the root cause and underlying assumptions behind something that seems to be a problem results in half-measures and new, resultant problems. Here’s a technique to stop the madness!
Dan Markovitz, consultant and author of The Conclusion Trap: Four Steps to Better Decisions, joins Art Petty on this episode of the Leadership Caffeine podcast.
Wally Bock and Art Petty connect to talk about their favorite, unknown books on this latest episode of the Leadership and Management Book Talk podcast. In what is never a surprise, they come at the topic from opposite ends of the spectrum.
Art Petty and Wally Bock talk about some of the later books in Jim Collins’ Good to Great Series: How the Mighty Fall and Great by Choice. Both of us agree, one is a great business book and highly relevant for our world today.
