Need a new search?

If you didn't find what you were looking for, try a new search!

Leadership Caffeine™-Improving Your Leadership Effectiveness on the Fly

By |2024-08-08T13:41:03-05:00January 18th, 2010|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

It probably comes as no surprise that the primary excuse that many leaders cite for not focusing on important priorities like coaching, feedback and development is, “ lack of time.” I’ve heard this “excuse” over and over again in workshops and mentoring sessions. And while there’s little argument over the importance of engaging in these and other positive leadership behaviors, many individuals shrug their shoulders, admit guilt, express frustration over their inability to carve out time and cite administrative, transactional and span of control issues as impediments. What’s a harried, over-worked, time-stressed leader to do?

Leading the Driven Individual

By |2024-08-08T13:41:04-05:00January 15th, 2010|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

A great deal of popular leadership writing (mine included) focuses on the common issues and challenges with “typical employees.” Now before you grab a pitchfork and light the torches and start marching on this blog for my use of the term “typical,” don’t misconstrue my meaning. Yes, I know that no one is “typical” and that we all have strengths and weaknesses and that it is grossly unfair to provide such a crass label to the masses of good quality employees laboring away and earning “strongly exceeds” on our grade-inflated performance evaluations. (I can hear the pitchforks clanking again on that last shot!) Nonetheless, it was the best label I could come up with on short notice and only a few sips into my first cup of coffee, to differentiate from the subject of today’s post: The Driven Individual (DI).

The Leader's Journey from Fear to Self Confidence

By |2024-08-08T13:41:10-05:00January 7th, 2010|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

In spite of the popular myth of the fearless leader, it is my belief that a large number of leaders at all levels struggle with fear. Some work through their fears on the way to developing self-confidence and others battle it daily and resort to various coping strategies, including over-compensating with extreme aggression or extreme timidity. Learning to positively and productively cope with fear is an important part of developing as a leader.

The Leader's Daily Reminder List

By |2024-08-08T13:41:16-05:00January 2nd, 2010|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

I expressed my opinion on the ineffectiveness of making annual resolutions in January in a recent Leadership Caffeine post entitled, "An Effective Leader’s Resolutions are Calendar Blind." Translation: good leaders work on improving their blocking and tackling every single day. My suggestion is for you to create a “Leader’s Reminder List” and reference it every morning over breakfast, or keep it in your car and briefcase and review it before you walk through the door into the office.

Want to Make A Difference? Treat Leadership as a Calling

By |2024-08-08T13:41:19-05:00December 22nd, 2009|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

The most effective leaders that I’ve observed, worked for, mentored and studied all have one thing in common. They have a deep regard for the impact of their role on others and they treat this responsibility like a precious gift, holding it in trust and preparing to pass it along to the next generation. These leaders view their profession as a calling, not a job.

Leadership Caffeine™-An Effective Leader’s Resolutions are Calendar Blind

By |2024-08-08T13:41:20-05:00December 21st, 2009|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

As a leader, you cannot afford to fall victim to the boom and bust cycle of annual resolutions. Rather, your challenge is a daily one, requiring you to manage your practices and habits in a program of perpetual self-improvement. Of course, identifying the right improvements requires you to have a real-time feedback system and the ability to keep your ego in check while as objectively as possible processing the daily evidence on your own performance.

Leadership Caffeine™: A Mostly Thoughtful Guide to Surviving Bad Leadership Days

By |2024-08-08T13:41:31-05:00December 7th, 2009|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

Even the most dedicated and experienced of leaders will admit that there are more than a few days when they wonder whether it might not be a lot less stressful to hang up their leadership cleats in favor of an individual contributor role. Like marriage, not every day as a leader is filled with wine and roses. There are many days when you will drive home from work wondering whether you truly accomplished anything, and others when you will feel like you just took a few steps in the wrong direction.

Learning to Project Confidence to Grow Your Career

By |2024-08-08T13:41:33-05:00December 6th, 2009|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

Confidence is contagious. Arrogance will clear a room like rotting fish wrapped in newspaper and left to cure sans refrigeration. And lack of confidence is guaranteed to get you stepped on during most days. The perception by managers and executives of where you fall on the continuum of not self assure at all on one end to arrogant on the other is important. You of course, want to fall right in the sweet spot of appropriately confident. Here are 8 suggestions to help you develop and showcase your self-confidence.

My Personal Journey Towards Building Better Leaders

By |2024-08-08T13:41:37-05:00December 2nd, 2009|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

Note from Art: I’m taking time out from my usual blogging activities today to share with you a bit about the background and approach of my new program and website: Building Better Leaders. After conducting more discussions than I can count with professionals in product management, project management, marketing, new first-time leaders, those interested in leading, technical professionals thrust into leadership, I decided to create something that would solve the problems of: practical content, cost, access, sustainability and guidance. Enter Building Better Leaders.

Leadership 2009 Style-What We Learned

By |2024-08-08T13:41:43-05:00November 24th, 2009|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

Mix one part global economic crisis with ample quantities of uncertainty and ambiguity. Stir in two-parts ever-changing global competition and a dash of geopolitical instability and you’ll end up with something that looks and feels a lot like the world of today, complete with the mild aftertaste of fear. You’ll also end up with a remarkable living leadership laboratory, where the best leaders are rediscovering the importance of leadership blocking and tackling while simultaneously developing the new skills and approaches required in this complex environment.

Go to Top