The undervalued virtue of human goodness
The undervalued virtue of human goodness Growing up on a farm meant that we took our garbage to the dump every month. A man named Monti lived there in a discarded trailer. Monti lived off of what other people dropped off. He had a thick, matted grey beard that hung down his chest and was […]
Leadership and the trap of the tyranny of the transaction.
Every leadership position comes with two components: transactional and transformational. Transactional deals with administration, budgets, planning, forecasting, measuring, and managing tasks. Transformational has to do with mentoring, connecting, inspiring, coaching, welcoming, building your culture. Transactions get the job done. Transformations make the difference. In every job, there’s always a pull toward the transaction. It’s the […]
How To Fix An Accountability Problem
It’s frustrating when the people we work with don’t meet our expectations. While it’s easy to blame others, people fail to perform as expected for three reasons: Communication. People are not clear about expectation(s). Make sure you have communicated clearly what you expect and how you will measure results. Be sure to include both operational […]
We can understand, at least intellectually, that straight talk is critical to trust.
Yet how do you embrace it when you have grown up trying to keep the peace, be nice, or avoid the hard truths? 1. Be Intentional. Straight Talk is important enough that we have made it one of our team values. 2. Be clear. How we define it and describe it. We Talk Straight: a) […]
What is your team learning from your behavior?
When my daughter was five, she overheard me complaining about visiting my mother-in-law. I’m sure she didn’t hear the whole conversation. It would have been helpful if I’d have taken the time to fill in some of the gaps. What she got was the negativity. It was a long drive. I had a lot of […]
Spring holds a special importance to me.
It’s a time of renewal. Of new beginnings and transformations. After months of cold, spring brings everything back to life in a new way. And with the spring, comes Easter – a time of reflection that asks, “What is dying, and what is waiting to be born? What is in need of letting go, to […]
Can you be too vulnerable as a leader?
Is there such a thing as giving “too much information” as a leader? We want to show up as our authentic selves, but is there a line that should not be crossed? I had a client who told me she no longer believed in authenticity. “I lost all my credibility being authentic. I had learned […]
LIVING AND LEADING WITH AUTHENTICITY: How We’ve Missed The Mark – And How We Can Correct It
A lightening rod attracts power by its mere presence. The same goes for great leaders with substance, depth, and strength of character. Authenticity has come under considerable criticism of late – and rightly so. Leaders have exposed too much of themselves in the wrong way and have lost credibility in an effort to be “authentic.” […]
Quitting. How to know when it’s time.
Derek Wills, the radio voice for the Calgary Flames was recently asked if he has given up on the Flames this year. At the time of the interview, the team was six points out of a playoff spot with less than ten games remaining. His response was, “Fellas, I have a bad habit of not […]
How Do You Lead When Your Boss Can’t
We’ve all had them or met them: dismissive, insensitive, controlling, absent, volatile, or mean bosses who lack vision, compassion, or purpose. People who suck the energy out of the room. Here’s a few suggestions for dealing with difficult people: Embrace the situation. When you’re invested with people, you are going to be frustrated from time […]
