“Recognition at work is important to me. How do I make sure I’m not missed?” “I see other people going to the boss and claiming credit, without mentioning my contribution.” “I’ve read that I should be assertive in claiming my hard work, but I feel funny and selfish doing that. Then I see others doing…
Toxic Leadership: Identify It, Remove It, Prevent It
Toxic leadership poses a dangerous threat to businesses, nonprofits, and teams everywhere. It’s a real and persistent issue—but it’s not contagious, nor is the cure controversial. So let’s eradicate this one, once and for all. COVID-19 has delivered unimaginable pain and revealed the power of our perseverance. Its lessons will inform our future in both…
Simple Management Lessons from Small Tax Forms
Blame my accountant’s wall, but I have some strong opinions about the value of simplicity, the epidemic of complexity, and the opportunity we all have to choose one path or the other. For leaders and managers, this is an especially important topic. Because in the world of business, we don’t always get to select the…
The Ripening of a Problem: When to Choose Patience in Leadership
While the importance of patience in leadership is evident to many who manage people, it’s a topic that doesn’t get as much attention as others. Today, we’re changing that by digging into why and how leaders should allow certain challenges to “ripen” before tackling them. It’s a relatively easy approach to implement, but this specific…
Envision It Solved: Why Skip “How” in Your Problem Solving Approach
A smart problem solving approach might prove as practical and essential a leadership tool as any you can think of. Because one way or another, problems will arise in your business. In this post, we’ll look at: The value of a well thought-out problem solving approach A typical (and problematic) problem process A vision-driven approach…
Thinking Projects: A Tip for Keeping Teams Engaged & Productive during Downtime [VIDEO]
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…