Category Archive: Leading

How to Bridge the Unseen Gap between Perception and Intent

Perception determines response. You respond to frowns different than smiles, unless the smile seems disingenuous.

The way you’re perceived governs how people respond to you. This wouldn’t matter if leadership was done in isolation.

Get a Grip on the Power of Identity

The most powerful leadership principle I’ve learned is, Identity drives behavior.

When you lose yourself to work, you forget who you are. Energy drains. Frustration sets in.

True success today requires authenticity.

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5 Steps to Give Autonomy without Blowing Everything Up

One goal of managing is to supervise less. Managers work too hard because they supervise too much. Giving autonomy to supervisors scares the crap out of incompetent managers.

Bureaucrats become block autonomy with regulations. Control requires management and supervision. The bigger the employee handbook the more you need to supervise.

Give competent people autonomy. Control blocks autonomy.

Unraveling Resistance to Change

A leader in the financial sector told me that the change top brass is making benefits top brass, but no one else.

Leading change isn’t difficult, it’s dangerous. 70% of change initiatives fail. HBR

How can you unravel resistance to change?

Leadership is Stewardship

A friend and client asked me what I’ve learned about stewardship. It’s the first time I’ve been asked. I wish there was more interest in stewardship because leaders are stewards.

I shifted the language from learned to learning when I texted back. People who think they’ve learned something haven’t. The best we can say is we’re learning and relearning.

Here are 5 ways to practices stewardship in leadership today.

Tap the Power of Short Series

A series takes you somewhere.

A small sequence of compromises makes the next compromise easier. A small chain of tough decisions makes tough decisions easier.

Here’s how to tap the power of a short series to achieve your aspirations.