When Meetings Waste Your Time
Last week, I sat in on an executive team meeting. I was so bored! Interestingly, I was the only person in the room for whom most of the discussion was brand new. Why was I so bored? Because nothing really happened—for two hours! Sure, there was a lot of talking, a lot of papers passed […]
Stop & Go
Over the last eight months, I’ve been writing periodically about character and leadership. Why is character so important in leaders? Because character is what leads you when you have to lead yourself. You can read the introduction to the character series here. Today we look at that internal guidance mechanism known as self-discipline. ************************************************************************************** This […]
One Cure For Busyness
In my last post, I wrote about the chronic problem of “I’m so busy” leadership. Thanks to all those of you who commented on and shared this post through LinkedIn. This week, I follow up with thoughts on an antidote for leaders’ busyness: delegation. Two months ago, I was in conversation with the president of […]
Leaders Who Are “So Busy”
Last week I was talking with a leader who opened our conversation by saying, “I am…just…so busy.” And he said it in a positive way. He was happy about it. How often do you hear this? How often do you say it yourself? Here’s the question I asked this busy leader: Are you busy on […]
When A Leader Has To Wait
The foundation under every leader is character – good or bad. This is the fourth in an occasional series for leaders who want to be intentional about their character. Click here for the introduction to the series. When is the last time you, as a leader, had to wait for something? Had to slow down? […]
Conflict with Another Leader
Two months ago, I was on a chronically delayed flight late at night at Dulles Airport, outside Washington, DC. As I sat in the terminal after de-planing for the second time and waiting to board again, I couldn’t help but notice a young woman in the waiting area who was on the same flight. She […]
The X-Factor of Great Leadership
Character is a critical ingredient in your leadership. It influences your thoughts, feelings and actions. Be intentional with it. This week’s blog is the second in an occasional series on character. Click here to read the first installment. Last year, the CEO of Procter and Gamble, one of the world’s largest consumer product companies, did something surprising. […]
Arnold Palmer: More Than A Great Golfer
A few weeks ago, we learned that thousands of Wells Fargo employees had opened fraudulent accounts to meet the bank’s “cross-selling” goals. The story was jaw-dropping. 5 years? 5,000 employees? Over 2 million sham accounts? Really? During that entire stretch of time, no Wells Fargo leader (who still works there!) ever paused to say, “Hey, […]
Ledecky, Neymar, and Getting Gritty
Late last year a board member gave me feedback on a CEO I was coaching. He concluded his comments with, “…and he has GRIT!” The word stood out to me at the time. I had not heard it recently, especially to describe a leader. But since then, I feel like I’m seeing and hearing it […]
How To Do Better By Doing Nothing
A few weeks ago, a colleague forwarded to me a sales coach’s June newsletter that admonished readers to avoid “laziness” and “overcome the dog days of summer.” He basically shamed his readers for taking time off. This glorification of “all work, no play” has become fairly pervasive in our American society. In 2015, more than half […]