As a leader, one of the hardest things is having to stand behind an organizational decision that you disagree with. Perhaps it's having a different opinion about a big step forward or the frustration of always being five steps behind the competition. Over the pandemic I have frequently been hearing from leaders who are disappointed and even frustrated with their senior leadership.
Read MoreWe are all well trained at problem solving. From an early age at school we are encouraged to use deductive reasoning, use critical thinking, and brainstorm new ideas to address problems that we encounter. This recurring and consistent training reinforces a deficient based mindset where we focus on what’s wrong, what’s missing, or what's bad.
Read MoreJohn Maxwell said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
Employees look to their leaders for inspiration and guidance to get things done. Leaders should be beacons who illuminate the path to triumph and success. That said, leaders can only perform their duties effectively if they possess good leadership skills.
Good communication is one of the most vital leadership skills that any boss can possess.
Read MoreOccasionally, I'll meet with an experienced professional who is hesitant about including some of their prior experience on their resume or talking about it in an interview. This could be experience from a prior career in a different industry, maybe something they did 5 to 10 years ago, or a small business that they run outside of their full-time career. I can appreciate the concern of including things that on the surface may not seem relevant to an employer. However, I firmly believe that your unique professional experience is what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Read MorePre-pandemic, most of our meetings were in person; however, once the pandemic arrived, this scenario flipped 180 degrees to where the majority of meetings were being held over applications like Zoom, Teams, and Webex overnight. While it may seem that only the modality of the meeting changed, we also lost something very important along the way: travel time.
Read MorePlease stop speed networking! It's not that I don't like meeting new people or the adrenaline rush of trying to do the impossible quickly. I love meeting new people and getting to know their story, their interests, and their hopeful destinations. I also enjoy experiences where I'm challenged to do difficult things in unusual ways. However, networking is not the time to be speedy.
Read MoreCurrently, 65% of American’s aged 45 and under rank organizational culture ahead of remuneration on their checklist for selecting employment opportunities. Personally, I favor a mixed culture approach – where there is a high degree of collaboration between employees – and where creativity and individuality are celebrated and encouraged.
Read MoreIf you took some of the world’s most successful leaders and dropped them all into completely new situations, some would be able to pivot while others simply wouldn’t (as the pandemic has readily shown us).
Successful leaders set up systems of accountability that apply to everyone, including themselves. They take responsibility for their actions and the consequences that occur as a result. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “to err is human.” It would be irrational for any leader to expect perfection from their staff or themselves personally. In my experience, successful leaders don’t dwell on mistakes. Instead, they focus on developing action plans to mitigate the consequences of their mistakes.
Read MoreOrganizational culture is the personality of your organization. Culture is made up of the attitudes and core values that the organization holds dear and stands firm to. It trickles from the top down and is often reinforced through company policies and ethos. Organizational culture plays a large part in establishing the working environment your people operate within, so it has a direct impact on the well-being and productivity of employees.
Read MoreWhen you hear the word “leader”, certain expectations come to mind. We look to our leaders for guidance and inspiration, which means they wield a great deal of influence. However, since not every leader is an effective leader and how do you spot ineffective leadership? And even if you’ve seen it, you may not immediately recognize what those traits are.
Read MoreConsistency is important for anyone in a leadership position. Where your values are concerned, you can’t be moving the goalposts back and forth. However, when you’re leading people in an individual or team setting, you have to be willing to adapt the way you lead in order to get the best out of your people.
Read MoreRalph Waldo Emerson said, “Money often costs too much.” In today’s world, it takes a lot more than a periodic pay rise to keep employees happy and motivated at work. It seems like many employees have taken Emerson’s words to heart. More than ever before, they’re leaving high paying jobs in search of more fulfilling work. Organizations everyday run the risk of losing skilled labor to their competitors if they don’t offer the right motivation to their employees.
Read MoreIf you're like most job seekers, your job search happens while you're already at work. It probably starts, or restarts, on a really bad day. Maybe that project you have is just not getting traction, or perhaps your boss or coworkers are not the nicest bunch to be around, or maybe you’ve realized (or re-realized) that your organization is crumbling at the seams.
Read MoreI recently shared a Harvard Business Review podcast titled Why Technical Leaders Make Great Managers and the response was notable. And I'm not surprised at all. When I speak with experienced professionals, one of their most common frustrations is that their managers have no idea what they actually do.
Read MoreWe recently re-watched Hamilton in my house and it got me thinking about mentorship and sponsorship in organizations. There is no shortage of business literature sharing the benefits of having mentoring relationships throughout your career.
Read MoreRecently I attended a Women in Leadership Roundtable and one of the presenters had an insightful perspective. She shared how sometimes as women we feel like we need to justify why we belong at the table that we've been invited to. Instead we should be focusing on what is the value we provide now that we're there.
Read MoreChange Management is the practice of looking at the whole system from inception to adoption by finding ways to ensure its success. The impact of change is often underestimated in misdiagnosed even before the formal project starts. It is important to start any potential change initiative by asking a series of questions with the intent to deeply understand the core of the issue and not accepting quick answers that might fit a preset narrative.
Read MoreToday is a really special day for me and for this business. It marks 1 year that I’ve been working full-time in my own consultancy and my LLC founding date. A real true business birthday. Some days it has felt surreal and amazing while other days challenging and frustrating. However, I’ve made it to a year and am looking forward to each day that comes.
Read MoreThis week I highlighted Sabina Nawaz’s article: Become a Better Listener by Taking Notes. My primary takeaway was simple, taking time to listen is always well spent.
Read MoreWhat happens when we try to go back to ‘normal’ business operations? My open letter to Senior Leadership.
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