Let’s start with the obvious: if you don’t have the trust of the people you’re leading, you will fail as a leader. Without trust, people can’t put stock in your vision, won’t commit themselves to your directives, and will lose confidence in you. If people can’t trust...
An effective manager is an organized manager -- because being organized reduces distractions and removes the unnecessary from your life. Sometimes "getting organized" is easier said than done, however. But if you can't keep your own workspace in order, how can you...
Sometimes people think that having courage requires saying YES to every big risk that comes along. But sometimes it actually means applying a disciplined NO to assert a boundary. Ed Viesturs, one of America's greatest adventurers, has submitted all fourteen of the...
Many leaders are trying to lead people who are too comfortable doing things the way they’ve always done, and too afraid to do things differently. Some of the team is too comfortable, some are too afraid, and many are both. Comfort and fear are damaging in the...
Fear and excitement prompt the same neurological responses and are important when trying to build your confidence. Think for a moment about what happens to you physiologically when you are really, really afraid. Your heart races, your palms sweat, your breath gets...
As a practical matter, it’s a good idea to care about your people. When they know you care about them, they will care about you—and your success. In fact, you’ll know that you’re truly a leader who cares when the people you lead start seeking and valuing your input,...
Leadership requires sound judgment. But there's a big difference between having sound judgment and being overly judgmental. Sometimes when you're too judgmental, you become intolerant. You pre-judge a situation and that gets in the way of connecting with others. In...
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