Productivity & The Law of Unintentional Consequences A short time ago I was working with a team of senior leaders. We were discussing the overall purpose of the organization and the bottom-line goal that was driving the organization forward. In most companies these are things like profit margin, revenue, sales targets, production goal, etc.. This…
Emotions, Decisions, and Business There is plenty of research on the role that emotions play in the decision-making process. Some folks believe that people make decisions based on rational analysis. And yet, research shows that emotions play a much bigger role because our emotions determine our preferences and we make choices based on what we prefer.…
The Art of Listening vs. The Ignorance of Interrupting 72 Interruptions … Yes, count them! Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Kaine interrupted his opponent or the debate moderator 72 times in a 90 minute period. That’s once every 75 seconds! He wasn’t interested in debating, he had an agenda and he was driving it home. He…
Influencing Others: Outside-In or Inside-Out Your greatest ability to influence others comes from the fact that influencing others is not an outside-in job … it is an inside-out job! Before I explain why … answer the following questions and be brutally honest with yourself: In a conversation with another person, do you spend the majority…
Are You a Leader or a Glorified Individual Contributor? No one ever said that being a leader was going to be easy. In fact … I believe that being an effective leader is one of the greatest challenges one can face in their lifetime. Why? Because it requires a fundamental shift in how you perceive…
Emotional Intelligence: Opinions are like … There is a famous saying about opinions and what they are like … I will spare you the details and just say that sometimes as a leader you have to wade through the garbage and the noise so you can drill down to the truth of the situation. But…
How To Make Better Decisions … “This indecision’s buggin’ me … exactly whom I’m supposed to be … so you got to let me know … should I stay or should I go?” The Clash When it comes to making decisions … sometimes we get stuck. Maybe you’re being confronted with the decision to begin…
Leadership Faux Pas #10 – Don’t Be a Jackass! I think it is fair to say that at one time or another we have all worked for a jackass. And while we may be advancing as a civilization, I think we can safely say that jackasses will continue to take up a percentage of leadership positions…
Leadership Faux Pas #9 – Confusing Humility With Humiliation “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― C.S.Lewis Sometimes leaders confuse humility with humiliation. Look up the definition for humiliation and you will see words like … embarrassment, shame, indignity, and degradation. Look up the definition of humility…
Emotional Intelligence and Getting Lost … “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Elliot At certain times in the career of a leader they may find themselves lost. Maybe they get bored with…