What was your first leadership lesson? Mine happened when I was 19 and learning how to operate a jackhammer. Here is what I learned, and how it frames my work as a leader, a coach, and even a father. Some thoughts, and a question for you: What are you challenged with today that you have to learn to let the jackhammer do the work? Great conversations start with a question. Lead well and go have one.
Is there a talent shortage? Yes. The numbers all point to a tightening labor market. When I do an occassional project in this space here is what I see. Remember, the goal of a good search is to look more attractive as an employer than the other companies that are looking. Here are some tips . . .
Are you adaptable? Success in business and in life means understanding and managing the changes that approach. Transitions as leaders, parents, spouses, friends are full of moments where the current way of doing things/reacting will not work, and we have to ask ourselves – Are we willing to change? Here are 262 words to process this a little . . .
What does a leader DO? This is a big question, and these questions are the start of a great conversation for any leader to have with others, and with themselves. It is much easier to make a habit out of something you believe in, and that is the core of the training launching next month from the LeaderWork group around What Leaders Do.
We try to avoid labeling people, and yet words have definitions that help us clearly state something we are seeing. In the world of talent management, there is a fine line between being ignorant and stupid. Effectively managing talent means knowing their attitudes towards learning and how agile their are. Talent management is about great conversations, and here are some tips for leaders to have them with themselves and their people.
Fear is to an organization as water is to a house. It always finds a way in, and only does damage if it stays around for a while. Leadership by fear is a choice, and often it is not about intentionally doing it, but by ignoring the habits that replace fear with love. Here are some leadership tips about having great conversations that allow fear a voice, and create a conversation that makes it hard for fear to stay around.
We cannot lead without input from others. That input comes from having great conversations, and one conversation that will give you the best information to lead is the One-on-One. Here are 3 Tips for being more Approachable, a key skill for being an effective leader. Leadership development often starts with having the right habits, then working on the skills within those habits that will make you more effective.
What is leadership? Not what others tell you, but what do you believe LEADERSHIP IS? What are you doing to get there? Talent management is about great conversations, and a key conversation is the one you have with yourself that is started by this question. I believe that one on ones are critical habits for leaders, and it is based on what I believe leadership is. I would love to hear your input on this.
Leaders have to be adaptable – not only in the changes around them but in how they vary their natural style when leading their people. Talent management is about great conversations, and one of the most critical conversations is the One on One. Here are some tips to help leaders be more effective in understanding what their people need and to meet those needs. Here is also a template for a one on one form that incorporates some of these key tips.
Talent management is about great conversations. One critical conversation is the one we have with ourselves when we are feeling overwhelmed and not living into the work or the priorities we have set for ourselves. That happens. Life happens. But staying in and leading from that space is not healthy. Here are 4 steps to take when you find yourself feeling like you are loosing it (I call it the Am I crazy? question). The ability to do this is a critical part of leadership development.
We scramble for the perfect gift, and often it is right in front of us, and behind us, and around us. Our time is a great gift, and for leaders it is too often forgotten because of all the other things we are trying to do. How do you make your time matter? First, recognize how valued it is, then give it. Talent management is about great conversations – go have one.
Talent management is about having great conversations. An employee survey is a tool that can help leaders listen more effectively and create some momentum towards the building a stronger culture. It also does not make sense in some cases. Here are some tips for thinking about whether it is the right thing to do for your organization.