The fundamentals of leadership never go out of style. Whether you are a first-time leader, an experienced professional taking over a new team or a senior leader who can use a little leadership pick-me-up, focusing on these five fundamentals will serve you and your teams well:
For too many new to the role of leading, we allow the urgent-unimportant to monopolize our time and dictate our priorities. Detailing the focus means ensuring that your eyes and efforts are locked on to the real issues in your new role. Here are 6 nefarious agenda killers of new (and experienced leaders) to avoid at all costs:
When it comes to sub-par performance on teams and between a supervisor and his or her department members, communication is almost always an issue, but rarely the root cause of the problem. Here are 4 ideas to help front-line leaders strengthen performance and improve communication with their teams:
Setting proper and challenging expectations is absolutely a part of promoting performance on your team. However, setting lofty expectations without doing the heavy lifting of forming an effective working environment is a hollow exercise in something ranging between comedy and futility. Here are 5 ideas to help you put the "Great" into your team's performance expectations:
At some point it will happen. You’ll be invited to your first executive meeting to provide an update on your team’s initiatives and it’s important for you to be prepared to seize this golden reputation building opportunity. Here are 10 tips to help you prepare for and succeed in this setting:
It’s not easy to move from a self-focused professional to someone who suddenly is measured by the success and growth of his or her team members.Here are 6 ideas to support your efforts on this long, arduous and rewarding journey:
One of the occupational challenges of your role as a manager or supervisor is learning how to navigate the personal issues of your team members that seep (or rush) into the workplace. Here are 5 ideas to help you navigate this sticky situation:
Accountability. Tattoo it on your forearm. Imprint it on your brain. Repeat it three times every morning. And then assert it all day long. Here are 7 ideas to help you strengthen the culture of accountability on your team:
In Monday’s Leadership Caffeine post, I strongly encouraged senior managers to accelerate the pace of their leadership development activities for their high potentials. Today, it’s your turn. Quit waiting for the boss to bestow the mantle of leadership responsibility on you. Here are 5 ideas to help you gain leadership experience before the title:
The best leaders I’ve worked with and for are not only good decision-makers, they are effective decision-coaches. They understand the importance of teaching their teams how how to navigate the pitfalls and complexities of decision-making in pursuit of the best results for the organization. Here are 6 great habits of effective Decision-Making Coaches:
