When an apology is in order, how do leaders in your organization apologize? We can’t help but notice when it goes poorly. Sometimes, it’s a matter of people (or a person) not ready or able to forgive. And that’s understandable, especially when there is no attempt at restorative justice. Other … [Read more...] about Real Leadership: Real Apology
Communications
Inspirational Leadership
What does inspirational leadership look like in your organization? Let me ask: what impact do inspiring leaders have on performance, both organizationally, and at an individual level? Consider this: while an employee’s mindset is important to their overall performance, without support from their … [Read more...] about Inspirational Leadership
The Power of Cognitive Flexibility and Persuasion
“In a turbulent world, success depends not just on cognitive horsepower but also on cognitive flexibility. When leaders lack the wisdom to question their convictions, followers need the courage to persuade them to change their minds.” – Organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, PhD Great leaders … [Read more...] about The Power of Cognitive Flexibility and Persuasion
Calm, Cool, and Collected: Communication in Conflict
How is your communication in conflict situations? How do you remain calm, cool, and collected? We’ve all been there: encountering someone in a fit of road rage; a neighbor upset about another neighbor’s transgression; dealing with a beloved toddler in the middle of a melt-down. Typically, we ignore … [Read more...] about Calm, Cool, and Collected: Communication in Conflict
Leading through Mistakes
Business leaders today are not exempt from making mistakes. While we like to believe their judgment is getting better, certain behaviors make them vulnerable to err, such as mindset failures, delusions, mismanagement, and patterns of unsuccessful (or poor) behavior. Our wishful thinking, denial, … [Read more...] about Leading through Mistakes
Confrontations that Create a Win-Win-Win
What has been your experience with confrontations? When did you last initiate one? Confronting someone for their behavior today is no easy feat, especially when emotions are easily triggered and opinions vary. When expectations are left unmet—including protocol infractions, civil disobedience, … [Read more...] about Confrontations that Create a Win-Win-Win
When Your Values Shift
Everyone knows how important it is to “know yourself,” yet how often do we reflect on why we do what we do? (Or for that matter, what we did?) Do we really understand our motives and values? Before we even graduate from high school, most of us have participated in interest inventories and career … [Read more...] about When Your Values Shift
Establish Your Leadership Brand
Product branding is a familiar concept where product identity, reputation and differentiation are promoted. In an ideal world, a product’s image is established in positive ways, and the market is made aware of its presence. While it seems natural to brand products, leaders often don’t recognize how … [Read more...] about Establish Your Leadership Brand
Personality Impacts Leadership
Despite all of the resources available to leaders today—books, articles, seminars, coaching and training programs—employees remain dissatisfied with leadership, their jobs and the future. After decades of attention paid to building better leaders, overall workforce distaste and distrust show little … [Read more...] about Personality Impacts Leadership
Essential Communication Skills for Leaders
Leaders continue to assume greater responsibilities and pressures as markets and technologies call for increasingly faster commerce, responses and results. Information overload and business volatility have become the norm, requiring nimble management and staff interconnection. Leadership success … [Read more...] about Essential Communication Skills for Leaders