Congratulations, you’ve been named to lead an important project initiative! Now what? While the growth in formally trained and certified project managers is accelerating, in most organizations, many of the important initiatives are led by functional managers and technical experts. If you find yourself in charge of one of these programs without a background or training in project management, this new series is intended for you. This article identifies some of the critical front-end work necessary for success and offers suggested “getting started” resources.
The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Why Some Lead and Others Choose Not To
We criticize our leaders easily, yet few are willing to raise their hands and pay the price that comes with a leadership role. The most effective leaders understand the costs that come with the role and are driven by a higher purpose to help others.
Today’s Interactions are Tomorrow’s Backstories
We all have a backstory. Somewhere, at some point in time, a comment, a gesture or an action by a person in a leadership role prompted an action that would ripple through our lives. How are your behaviors helping those around you create their own backstories?
Leadership Lessons from the Classroom
If you choose to pay attention to your audience in the classroom (instead of preaching at them), you gain some powerful insights for leadership practices that support growth. Here are 4 leadership lessons gained from the classroom:
Are Your Management Approaches Stifling Thinking?
Our behaviors as managers and educators often stifle creativity and innovation. Instead of conditioning people to conform and comply, we need to exhibit behaviors that do the opposite.
Speaking Workshop—Powerful Public Speaking by Dr. Nick Morgan
Dr. Nick Morgan, one of the leading speaking coaches in the world and the author of the Public Words blog, is running a one-day session, entitled: “Powerful Public Speaking” in Boston on October 28, 2016. During this day, you will have the opportunity to share ideas and gain insights and approaches to create your next persuasive speech.
Confessions of a Maverick Hiring Manager
Relying upon traditional hiring practices and dogma can leave your organization starved for the talent necessary to navigate the challenges facing your firm and industry. Sometimes, you have to go maverick!
Legacy Beliefs—The Ties that Bind
Legacy beliefs exert a powerful force in our organizations and in our own lives. When those beliefs no longer match the external reality, our personal and business strategies come crashing down. Yet some leaders and professionals find a way to break away from the ties that bind.
Leadership Caffeine™ for the Project Manager eBook Now Available!
I am excited to announce the launch of my latest book: Leadership Caffeine for the Project Manager (and anyone responsible for leading teams, groups or committees). This e-book only offering is available at Amazon, Apple and Barnes and Noble or at my site. And every purchaser is entitled to a free download copy of my supporting workbook: Power Tools for Project Managers. Use the ideas and approaches in great project, career and team development health!
Sometimes Leading Means Eating Culture for Lunch
There’s a stark contrast between caretaker leaders focused on the status quo and leaders who lead in the face of adversity and the need to change. The latter use the firm’s culture as a tool to enable change. They also draw upon these 11 key behaviors:










