Paid downtime is a fact of work life that can leave business owners and company leaders feeling frustrated, conflicted, guilty, or all of the above. By “downtime,” I’m referring to those necessary interludes when employees must, in effect, get paid to work at less than their expected and normal level of output—sometimes far less. For
Leadership in Difficult Times: 7 Positive Forces Released in Adversity
Leadership in difficult times is as challenging as it is important. Essential, in fact. Many of my clients seem to agree. As the excellent leaders of either today or tomorrow, they’re focused not only on helping their teams navigate our current climate of uncertainty, but also on upholding morale, maintaining culture, encouraging productivity, and so
How One Company Messed Up Beautifully
Have we forgotten how to apologize? Worse, have we lost track of the incredible power of apology? Not just how to do it well, but why to do it at all? “It was my mistake. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” It’s important to get these phrases written down now, before they become obsolete. Let me tell you
Leadership Retrospective: Your Top Questions of the Year
Leadership questions are on your mind!
Among all the topics my clients, students, readers, and others have brought up in the past year (believe me, there’s exciting variety!), leadership questions continue to garner the most attention.
Nelson Mandela, Servant Leader
Nelson Mandela’s name was filling the world’s airways 6 years ago this week—in eulogy, analysis, and praise. The anniversary of his passing leaves me marveling at how powerful his example was. Through his life and after his death, the Nelson Mandela servant leadership legacy lives on, inspiring widespread agreement on his positive contribution. The unanimity surrounding
The Most Impactful Program for Leadership & Growth Capacity
Someone recently asked me to respond to a question on Quora about the most impactful program I’ve seen for building leadership and capacity for growth. Hands down, it’s Attributes. I joke that I’ve added the gray hair and wrinkles to create an air of wisdom. But the truth is, I have a lot of experience
