Caring Critique
We can’t control how people will take criticism or feedback. Any prescription for how we do it (directly, indirectly, gently, or abruptly) might work. If …
Superlatives Can’t Replace Honest & Effective
Unique! Unparalleled! Exceptional! New! Improved! Unprecedented! Award-winning! Powerful! When marketing (internally to the team or externally to clients and partners), we must not fall into …
We Are The Leaders
We are the leaders. More than half of the successes and failures of our organizations are down to us as leaders. Our organizations–whether they succeed …
Decider-in-Chief
We–the noble, effective, and very good-looking leaders that we are–don’t often tell people what to do. We save command-and-control for emergencies. Instead, we give others …
Sleepless Nights
When we wake up in the middle of the night worrying, when our chests are tight, guts are in a knot, or fists are clenched, when …
Why Concrete Goals are Better than Specific Goals
They tell us that we should set goals that are specific. But if we shoot for ‘specific’, we may end up with ‘detailed’. And detailed …
A New Type of Leader
Our organizations need something different from us at each size and stage. What had worked so well for us becomes less and less effective as …
Your Secret Dream
Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Sometimes, we avoid saying what we really want at work and …
Why Bother with a Business Plan?
What’s the value of a business plan? It’s not the plan. All plans quickly become out of date from the moment we write them. No, …
But What Should I Commit To?
“Ah,” you say. “I would love to commit but I haven’t a clue what I should commit to.” It turns out that this is also …