[email protected]

847-612-8420

Free Consultation

The Leadership Caffeine Blog

Explore by Category:

The New Employer-Employee Loyalty Prescription

Feb 10, 2010

The term and concept of “loyalty” is one that is frequently bandied about in phrases that sound much like, “there is no longer any loyalty to workers,” and “few workers admit any feelings of loyalty to their employers.” The term is also used to contrast today’s transactional workplace relationships with the supposed near utopian state of yesteryear, when our parents and grandparents started at one company early in their lives and ended up retiring from that company 40 years later. The concept of “loyalty” in the workplace is in need of a makeover, complete with a new definition and fresh examples of what constitute reasonable and professional levels of loyalty for and from all parties.

read more

When Will You Choose to Be Successful? An Irreverent Rant on Personal Motivation

Feb 5, 2010

It never ceases to amaze me how many excuses people have for not succeeding at something they view as important to them personally or professionally. While behavioral psychologists might label this as an issue of “external versus internal locus of control,” as I listen to the excuses flowing for not getting the job, not losing weight, not saving money, not making it to class, not writing a book, not keeping up with blogging, what I’m really thinking is (in very loud terms inside my mind), “YOU HAVE NOT MADE UP YOUR MIND TO SUCCEED!”

read more

The Three C’s and One D of Great Hiring According to Small Business Owners

Feb 3, 2010

Experienced small business owners and managers understand the critical importance of making great hires. The right people propel your business and the wrong ones cost you precious time and money. The wrong hires ring up expensive opportunity costs by making less than optimal decisions, inappropriately leading or misleading your teams and not helping you create value and gain a competitive advantage. I spoke to a number of owners running visibly successful firms and asked for their insights on hiring talent on their teams. The roll-up of their advice is as follows…

read more

Leadership Caffeine™-Develop the Courage to Derail the Bad Decision Train

Nov 9, 2009

The “bad decision train” is difficult to stop or derail once it gets moving. It seems to take extra-ordinary courage to admit that you are wrong. A combination of ego and fear often prevail, driving us to go all-in when we should fold and walk away. While the instinct to pursue bad decisions with more bad decisions might be difficult to overcome, it is critical that leaders fight this tendency by fostering a culture that encourages teams and individuals to challenge decisions, particularly when new facts and lessons learned begin to point towards a different direction.

read more

Leading in the Trenches-Recovering from Trickle Down Project Management Chaos

Nov 3, 2009

Project inflation…the spread of too many projects and the heaping of them upon the tormented and torn few is a formula for disaster. Unfortunately, work force reductions and pressures to reduce costs, improve processes and to innovate all fuel project inflation. Consider adopting a rigorous approach to project selection by asking and answering these following questions:

read more

Today’s Action Item: Reinvent Self!

Oct 2, 2009

I know an awful lot of talented, hard-working people talking about or rehearsing for the process of reinventing their professional selves. This is the silent epidemic taking place in people over 40 that doesn’t garner the same level of attention as our anticipated flu epidemics.

read more

Leading in the Trenches: How Well Do You Know Your Customers?

Sep 30, 2009

If you don’t know your customers at a sufficient level of detail, including their hopes, dreams and emotions, everything you are doing includes a high degree of guesswork and randomness. Your messaging likely includes a great deal of blah blah about your firm. Promotional activities are fired from a shotgun, and while they occasionally hit something, there is no viable, sustainable marketing system in place.

read more

Leadership Caffeine™-Respectfully Speaking, Your Respect for Others Will Serve You Well

Sep 8, 2009

The formula is simple and the outcome is predictable. Treat people with respect and they will generally return the courtesy many times over.

The word “respect” just might work as the lone word in the world’s shortest chapter in the world’s shortest and most effective book on leadership. Master the term, practice it liberally and you’ve uncovered one of the simple secrets to leading effectively.

read more

Enjoy Being Part of the Gang? Better Not Lead.

Aug 4, 2009

One of the rude awakenings for leaders promoted from within a team is the uncomfortable recognition that the easy camaraderie of the pre-promotion days immediately gives way to an awkward distancing of relationships.

Congratulations on your promotion. Oh, and you’re no longer part of the gang

read more