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.
Leadership Caffeine™—Get Better Daily
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The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Insights and Observations from the Latest Manager Development Programs
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.
Leadership Caffeine™—Focus on What Matters
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.
Feedback is Funny—Just Not in a “Ha Ha” Kind of Way
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:
Leadership Caffeine™—Expect to Struggle When These Two Ingredients are Missing
Transparency is measurable. Accountability is binary. If transparency is low and accountability is turned off, expect to struggle.
Leadership Caffeine™—Harnessing the Power of Purpose in Your Work
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.
The Six Core Programs of Your Personal Manager Operating System
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:
Leadership Caffeine™—A One Line Job Description for Managers
If you manage, lead, or are otherwise responsible for the work of others, the working environment is everything. Creating a healthy working environment is literally your only job. Get this right and the results take care of themselves.
Leadership Caffeine™—Small Changes in Your Routine and Approaches Can Generate Big Results
I regularly talk with managers and leaders who believe they are grinding harder but getting nowhere. One described himself as working in quicksand: “The more hours I spend and the harder I push, the faster we are sinking. I need to do something different.” Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt this way. Here are ideas to help you adjust your approaches and regain control:
Strengthening New Manager Development is a Key Priority
New managers are the front-end of our leadership pipelines. And, they face a daunting challenge in shifting from contributor/producer to manager. They need help, coaching, training, and on-going support, and that’s often hard to come by in our time-stressed worlds.