John Wayne was one of the biggest film stars ever. And his legacy has been hindering leaders for a long time. Unwittingly, in many of his movies, John Wayne “proves” that you can succeed alone. All you need is the biggest will, the most stamina, and the fastest gun. John Wayne taught (well, perhaps reinforced)

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Today, a quotation about leadership. While I’m not sure I agree with it 100% in all situations, it is well worth thinking about, especially when considering the source. So read on, ponder it yourself with the questions and action steps, and then read my additional comments at the bottom. “The best leaders collect information widely,

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Have you ever experienced a micro-manager, a control freak, a meddler, or a person who can’t let go? The behavior gets labeled in different ways, but it is really all about the same. How do you like working for or with people like that? If you are like every other person I have talked to

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By Richard Fagerlin Trust is a pervasive and important topic for all of us personally and professionally. I get asked to teach about it often, and I have worked hard to study it over the years. For those reasons and more, I wish I had written this book. The author takes an important topic and

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By Edgar H. Schein When one of my favorite management thinkers writes a new book, I am always curious – and Edgar Schein is on that short list for me. His book Process Consultation: Its Role in Organizational Development, played a big role in my development as a consultant, and his recent book Helping: How

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I’m a big believer in the power of relationships in leading others more effectively. After all, would you rather (and are you more likely to) follow someone you know and like, or someone you don’t? In part because of this belief, I have often used an exercise at the start of leadership training that I

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We see it all around us, yet inside of our organizations, we seem to ignore or forget the lessons. Look to the web.  The highest traffic site on earth is Google, run by an ever growing company that, in many ways, seems to have their act together, if you read most of the business press.

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You can run, but you can’t hide. Actually, it is not (quite) true. There are leaders everywhere that are trying their best to hide every day, like ostriches burying their heads in the sand, when their team isn’t achieving what they could. Leaders who want to blame others, the economy or the market for their

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Whether we are talking about an honest one, a little one, or a great big oh #$%^&@! one, we all have made them. And I’ve come to believe that the way we view and how we respond to them plays a huge role in our attitude, approach, and results in life. What am I talking

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We need to talk about you and the success of your team. Part of that success comes from the level of commitment your team members have to the collective work. This isn’t news or rocket science. If you are reading these words, you understand that fact, and likely also recognize your role, as a leader,

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