Oh, the things people say about leadership! Leaders are born, not made. (This is so old and outdated that I can’t find a source – but we’ve all heard it, all too often.) Only one in ten people have the natural skills to be a manager / leader. (That’s from research giant Gallup!) Introverts can’t be leaders. (Susan Cain, author …
Look back before rushing forward (here’s why)
I’m not a fan of the, “Oh, this was a gift! it wasn’t all bad!” noise I’m hearing from so many people right now. The pandemic was not a gift. Yes, it gave some of us a chance to reflect, regroup, reconsider how we want our lives to look and feel. Those were the privileged ones who kept their jobs and …
Where to now?
What have you learned about managing and leading during the pandemic? What will you do differently? How will you support your mid-level managers going forward? I could stop right there, because those three questions are hugely important as we move into what could be a whole new approach to work – a more humane, rational, and rewarding approach. Even before the pandemic, …
Leadership in the “next normal”
There’s a lot going around these days about how we need all these new leadership skills for the post-pandemic workplace. You know, the hybrid remote / in-office scenarios, not to mention how employees are requesting (demanding, even) that their employers take a stand on sustainability, diversity, climate change, and social justice. All this requires leaders to learn new skills to …
Preventing a toxic culture
Last week, I wrote about managing toxic employees. But what about preventing toxic tendencies right from the start? Toxicity can develop in an environment where individual achievement is valued over team accomplishment. It’s important to acknowledge outstanding contribution at the individual level – and it’s equally important to avoid creating competition between individuals. The outdated and destructive practice of “forced ranking,” …
Better? Worse? Different!
We’re a bit over a year into the pandemic. Some people are struggling. Some people are coasting. Some people have found silver linings – and some of them feel guilty about that. Some people are nostalgic for how things were. Interestingly enough, though, they’re a significant minority. Most people do not want to go back to How Things Were. The people …
We need a new view of leadership
To succeed in today’s pandemic and (hopefully soon) post-pandemic environment, companies must address the human side of work and leadership. They must acknowledge the need for people to enjoy what they do, to have a sense that they’re accomplishing something worthwhile, and to feel that their leaders understand that work is part of life, not separate from it. They need …
What IS leadership, anyway?
Leadership is not a title. It’s not limited to a specific role or job or work to be done. Leadership is a way of being. It’s how you are in the world, what you say and what you do, and whether those words and actions are aligned and congruent – and even if they’re not. You may be thinking you’re not …
Interview: preparing front-line leaders
Delighted to dig into the questions of front-line leaders, how they often don’t get the support they need, and why that matters, with Jonathan Westover on the podcast Human Capital Innovations. The podcast comes in two versions – video on YouTube or audio-only on Anchor.fm Enjoy! ShareShare
How are you identifying “hi-po” leaders?
What are you doing to make sure the right people are in your Emerging Leaders program? Assessing your current workforce allows you to evaluate who’s ready for advancement and training. But while the usual practice is to select the high-potential (a.k.a. “hi-po”) individuals, that’s not always the wisest option. It’s an acceptable starting point, but we need to remember that …