No one enjoys making mistakes. Some of us actively fear making mistakes. It’s understandable, of course. Practically from the time we pop out of the womb, we’re told we’re supposed to be right. To know the answers. To never fumble the ball, literally or figuratively. And depending upon our family, community, teachers, bosses, peers, we may be further terrorized by …
What about Critical Thinking?
(Despite that word “critical,” it’s not about criticizing anyone.) If you Google “ask dumb questions” or “ask stupid questions,” you’ll get page after page of – bluntly – nastiness. Which is probably one of the reasons why people don’t ask enough questions: fear of ridicule. Critical thinking requires questioning. Schools here in the U.S. fail miserably at teaching critical thinking …
Leadership is …
Leadership is hard. At least, it is if you’re doing it right: being a responsible, ethical leader who cares for the team and achieves goals. Leadership is complex. There are many moving parts: individual personalities, unexpected situations, fast-moving decisions, and deep political waters. Leadership is risky. There are countless opportunities to make mistakes: with your team, with problems, with choices, …
The flip side of “accountability”
Leaders are supposed to hold their teams accountable for doing the work they’re assigned. All good, right? Well… yes, and, like just about everything in life, there’s a flip side. Because people – all of us people – need to learn to hold ourselves accountable. That’s called Being a Responsible Human. And always relying on someone else to “hold you …
The Politician’s I’m Sorry
(This is not an article about politics) When someone dies and their family and friends are feeling grief-stricken and sad, we say, “I’m so sorry for your loss.” When someone loses a job and they’re feeling angry and scared, we say, “I’m so sorry – how can I help?” When some injures themselves and they’re feeling frightened and vulnerable, we …
Is life fair?
I was asked that question a few days ago. How, you may wonder, is this relevant to leadership? It’s relevant because how we approach life is also how we approach leadership. What we believe about life influences how we lead. And as I have said a thousand times and will probably say at least a thousand more times – life …
Do you lead an AI?
The other day, a client asked how much AI impacts my work as a leadership consultant and trainer. I rather flippantly answered, “Well, no one leads the AI bot!” And that’s true. Leaders don’t lead bots as if they were humans. But they do need to understand how AI is impacting the humans they lead. They need to recognize that …
Critical or Strategic?
I used to consider strategic thinking the most essential skill for the planning, future-oriented aspects of leadership. (In parallel with the equally-essential skills of emotional intelligence and trust-building, of course!) I’ve changed my mind. Critical thinking is more important, especially since one can’t think strategically without first thinking critically. And here’s the fun part: critical thinking is a life skill, …
You’re just the same
There’s an old saying that “wherever you go, there you are.” Indeed. At work, at home, at the gym, at the grocery store, in your community: it’s all you. You’re the same person in each of those spaces – and all others. Wherever we go, we’re the same person. Which means we need to learn how to manage ourselves to …
So, what did you expect?
Expectations create outcomes. Students in school; teams at work; individuals, personally and professionally: what’s expected by us and for us impacts results, whether good or bad. That’s not “woo”; it’s well-studied reality. As a leader, what do you expect from your team? From yourself? From, for that matter, your family, friends, community? Be aware. Because if your expectations are, let’s …