Nobody’s perfect, but that doesn’t seem to stop people from trying. And why not? There are lots of good reasons for wanting to be perfect. Some professions, for example, greatly benefit from their inherent perfectionism. This is especially true of professions where...
At some point in the middle stage of your leadership career, it's common to be consumed with the thought, “there must be something more.” The job of a leader, which looked so enviable when you were younger and at lower levels, feels less satisfying than you had...
So, you’ve been in your initial supervisory position for a reasonable amount of time to show everyone interested your blossoming leadership mojo. You think you finally have a handle on what is expected of you in the job, despite the natural bumps along the road as you...
My work with leaders has convinced me how immensely difficult is to get leadership right. Leading other people is really, really hard. Indeed, the sheer glut of leadership books may be the best evidence of how hard leadership truly is. If it were easy, budding leaders...
Using fear to motivate people is cheap leadership. Any two-bit dictator can use fear to get things done. It takes no finesse or intelligence and ultimately works against the leader. The temporary spike in motivation from stoking people's fears is offset by the...
Last month I wrote about how hard leadership is. A quick recap on why that is: Total accountability. A leader can’t delegate accountability and/or responsibility to someone else. When you’re in charge, you are on the hook 24/7/365. The boss is the focal point for...
Real leaders view challenging situations as opportunities, not problems. Instead of injecting people with fear, they navigate them towards opportunities, inspiring them with excitement and hope. Finding opportunities for others means letting go of your own ego so...
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