Are there leadership do-overs? The answer is a firm, "It depends." In this article, I share the circumstances where it is appropriate to hit your Leadership Reset Button and I offer guidance for succeeding with this important work.
We’re wired in this era to look for tips, hacks, and cheat codes, particularly for complex challenges. Who doesn’t want a shortcut that delivers the goods? Yet, some challenges don’t lend themselves to shortcuts. Take managing and leading effectively as cases in point.
Fresh off of leading three outstanding cohorts through a live-online version of my Manager Development Program for New(er) Managers, we are setting up several new mid and late summer opportunities. We would love to help you or your team members level up their skills. Choose your flavor for this summer's professional development work!
Developing as a leader doesn’t follow a straight line. It’s different for every individual. Focus on getting better at this job daily. Here are five ideas to help you jump-start this good work.
During the past few weeks, I ran three different cohort sections of my live-online Manager Development Program. While initially geared toward new(er) managers, we had many veterans in the groups, all working on sharpening their skills around the fundamentals of leading and managing. As always, the wisdom of the crowd adds value to the pre-planned content.
Your real battle as a leader is the one for your focus. It's a battle too many lose. It's imperative you figure out what matters and then focus. Learn to feed the mission, not the machine.
OK, the topic of feedback isn't stand-up comedy funny. It's funny as in odd because there are so many contradictions surrounding it. Here are five practices to help managers bring feedback to life as the performance-enhancing tool it is capable of being:
Transparency is measurable. Accountability is binary. If transparency is low and accountability is turned off, expect to struggle.
If we're not involved in moon-shots or mars-shots but rather working for seemingly pedestrian causes or offerings, how do we manufacture that sense of purpose? It's easy, fall in deep love with the people we're ultimately helping with our work.
From the challenges of dealing with people and personalities to the never-ending, ever-growing lists of things to do, often with conflicting priorities, managing is a tough job. Yet, when I explore the stress points with struggling managers and ask some questions, I often discover they are attempting to execute their role without the benefit of what I describe as a Manager Operating System. Here are six critical components of every manager's effective operating system:
