Lousy leaders build mediocre organizations because they dance around issues. But, remarkable is the result of difficult conversations done skillfully. Mediocrity arrives when difficult conversations are avoided. Why lousy leaders suck at tough… Continue reading
On the edge of panic, I struggled against the rip current that pushed me away from the sandy beach. My 5’ wife and 6’1” son watched. A wave knocked Dale, my wife, into… Continue reading
Dairy cows walk the same path, following each other. The grass wears away. The ground grows hard. They know where to go. Every morning and night, when I was a kid, I opened… Continue reading
Don’t tell me what you hope to do.Tell me what you’re doing. Reading and talking are useful, even essential, but experience matters most. Leadership is about practice more than theory. Every leadership behavior… Continue reading
Lousy leaders think pay checks are permission to treat people like slaves. Control: I caught an awkward glimpse of myself when I asked my wife, “Would you like me to tell you what… Continue reading
Navigating the tension between two contrasting qualities takes maturity. Leaders tend to be tenacious or kind, for example, but not both. Either/or is easier than both/and. The ability to be two things at the same… Continue reading
