Questions Leaders Need To Ask Themselves
As with any new endeavor, starting is the hardest part. Reasons to postpone action exist in abundance. "I’ll start after I finish reading the book." "Mondays are better for beginnings than Thursdays." Even traumatic events that would appear to cry out for changed behavior (the heart attack victim who smokes, the parent whose child gets [...]
Fear is a powerful emotion. It can paralyze you in times of crisis, cause you to cower in the face of an adversary, or lash out in an inappropriate direction. Fear will keep you silent when you should speak. Fear will open your mouth when it’s better left shut. And, worst of all for a [...]
Let me admit it right up front–this is a bias. I believe that fundamentally unhappy people make poor leaders. This statement might cause you to pause. If we were having a conversation, I’d be able to see your reaction in your eyes, and I’d repeat myself for emphasis. So let me repeat. I believe that [...]
When my daughter, Miriam, went to college in Milwaukee, she worked at a bakery. Vann’s Pastry Shop was legendary for its specialty cakes, Danish pastries, and bread. When Mr. Vann died, his obituary in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel started with the following: "Calling Bob Vann a baker would be like calling Frank Lloyd Wright an [...]
When you got the message that you were being promoted into a leadership position, I’d guess you were excited. Promotions usually mean more prestige, more opportunities, and more money. People congratulate you, offer to buy you lunch, and your picture appears in the company newsletter. Good news all the way around. Then there’s the reality. [...]
Believe it or not, there isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question. Leadership takes on different meanings depending on the person who leads and the people being led. On any given day, leadership can mean teaching, coaching, assigning, cheerleading, counseling, guiding, correcting, protecting, explaining, and observing. Leadership asks you to fill out forms, [...]