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Art of Managing-Kick Mediocrity to the Curb in Pursuit of Extraordinary

May 6, 2013

Mediocre is on display daily in too many areas of our society and in too many of our businesses. From the boss who just doesn’t care to our government seemingly barely functioning to the miserable help-lines of too many firms to the slow gait…the shuffle of retail workers at organizations that definitely don’t care, ordinary and average are epidemic. Here are 8 ideas to help you kick mediocrity to the curb in pursuit of extraordinary on your team:

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Just One Thing: Talent without Unity of Purpose Equals a Failed Team

Feb 27, 2013

The essence of good leadership includes not only bringing great talent to the party, but also creating an environment that encourages people to come together around a clear and compelling purpose. How hard are you working at moving beyond the targets and numbers to help your team discover and focus on its’ unifying purpose?

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Leadership Caffeine™-Lessons from the Wilderness

Jan 27, 2013

Instead of teaching people to work within a self-contained system where the goal is to impose order, this new world demands much more of a sense and respond style of leading. Here are 5 ideas for cultivating tolerance for adversity and uncertainty on your team:

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Management Excellence Holiday Book List-Part 2

Dec 17, 2012

Here are a few more of my favorite things when it comes to professional development. Part 1 focused on leadership, strategy, getting to the next level and cultural intelligence. In Part 2, I range a bit further afield with an eclectic suggestion list of biographies. And remember, the best books on leadership aren’t found in the business section!

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Leadership Caffeine™-Build Credibility through Confidence and Clarity

Dec 2, 2012

While there are many ingredients in the recipe for developing as an effective leader, two that provide a healthy percentage of the raw materials for your success include: people’s perception of your self-confidence, and their perception of your ability to clearly articulate yourself. Fail at one or the other, and your road to success is a good deal more treacherous.

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Leadership Caffeine™:When Playing Office Politics Leave the Playground Tactics Behind

Oct 23, 2012

There’s no hiding from, denying or deftly side-stepping the reality that the political game…the pursuit of resources, budgets and yes, even power, is in full swing just about all of the time in most organizations. It’s too bad that most people are playing it wrong. Here are 4 ideas to help you move beyond playground tactics in your pursuit of strengthening the organization:

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Leadership Caffeine™—Toward More Simplicity

Sep 10, 2012

There’s a must-read article that appeared at Fast Company a few months ago by Aaron Levie, entitled, The Simplicity Thesis. The short form is that in this world of increasing complexity, the best opportunities are for those firms, products and services that are minimally complex (simple). The same goes for those of us leading others and managing our organizations.

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