As a leader, you have lots of things in motion, and your people have more than ever on their plates. Managing your team is enough of a challenge when dealing with the big picture. But numerous details also need specific attention. You’re aware that many of them pertain to certain individuals, and … [Read more...] about Conquering the Fear of One-on-One Meetings
personal skills
Lopsided Leadership: When Strengths Fail
In the last decade, leadership development experts have enthusiastically pushed to improve their clients’ strengths instead of addressing their weaknesses. This approach may have some success in growing individuals’ effectiveness, but it’s fundamentally flawed. Strengths training and coaching have … [Read more...] about Lopsided Leadership: When Strengths Fail
Disentangle Difficult Conversations
Why do we avoid difficult conversations? At some point, many of us have had to deliver the dreaded line, “We need to talk.” And this often precedes an argument rather than any conversation. Why are some conversations so difficult that we’ll do anything to avoid them? Possibly because: We are … [Read more...] about Disentangle Difficult Conversations
Improve Your Thinking Skills
Are you using your brain to its optimum capacity? What thinking skills should you develop? A recent article in Harvard Business Review proclaims that successful organizations of the future will place a premium on our thinking skills. “… in today’s marketplace, the smartest companies aren’t those … [Read more...] about Improve Your Thinking Skills
What’s Your Thinking Style?
What's your thinking style? Just like we have personality preferences for introversion and extroversion, we also have preferred ways of thinking about problems. Typically, we handle problems in a tried and true way that we’re comfortable with. We don’t even know we have a thinking style because … [Read more...] about What’s Your Thinking Style?
Digital Distractions:
The War for Your Attention
Are you letting digital devices overwhelm you and eat away at your ability to focus and concentrate? Is technology really saving you time and energy —like it's supposed to do —or is it running rampant, creating unnecessary work?
Most of us are bombarded by messages, texts, alerts, and buzzed … [Read more...] about Digital Distractions:
The War for Your Attention
Do You Know Your Strengths?
Most of us have a poor sense of our talents and strengths, yet are acutely aware of our weaknesses and flaws. Throughout the education system and subsequent careers, there's often been much more attention paid to how to improve and fix our shortcomings rather than enhance our strengths. "Most … [Read more...] about Do You Know Your Strengths?
Successful Living through Mindfulness
Most self-help books focus on how you can achieve more. How can you do more, be more… and do it all faster. This article takes the opposite tack: how and why you should simply sit and be still. The practice of mindfulness - being fully present and aware of the here and now - leads to successful … [Read more...] about Successful Living through Mindfulness
In Praise of Leadership Humility
The attribute of leadership humility is not often celebrated in performance reviews, nor is it a part of leadership development programs. Maybe it should be. We live in an era of self-celebration, and bravado announces our confidence. At work, ambitious people enthusiastically self-promote in order … [Read more...] about In Praise of Leadership Humility
Do You Know Yourself Well?
How well do you think you know yourself? Self-awareness is key to success in work, life, and relationships. “Knowing yourself, and knowing the forces that affect the people who work for you, holds the key to being a successful leader.” ~ Kenneth M. Settel, MD, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, … [Read more...] about Do You Know Yourself Well?