Leadership Empathy Goes Beyond Those You Lead

I have long said that as we become better leaders, we become better humans – and vice versa. Empathy is one example of that truth. Empathy is a valuable and important human skill and leadership skill. If you think of the best leaders you have experienced, you have likely experienced leadership empathy from them. So,

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What Does it Mean to Champion Change?

Making change happen has always been an important role for leaders, now more than ever. Much has been studied and written about managing change, and to a slightly lesser extent, leading change. And even given all that study and advice, most leaders and organizations aren’t very good at making change happen. Maybe it is because

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Understanding Organizational Competition

Is competition good or bad? The answer, depending on several factors, could be “yes, no, or it depends”. What about organizational competition? My answer would be the same! Let’s look at how to determine if organizational competition is helping or harming your team and organizational results.Organizational Competition is Good When…It spurs innovation and creativity. When

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Mentoring Yourself – Remarkable TV

We usually seek others to mentor us, and rightly so. Mentors offer invaluable perspectives and support. However, it’s vital to realize that one of the key mentors in your life can be yourself.Four Key Strategies to Self-MentoringTreat Yourself Better: Consider how a good mentor would treat you – with encouragement, support, and belief in your

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Why “It Depends” Can Be a Great Answer

When you ask someone a question and they respond, “It depends,” how does that make you feel? Does it make think the person is blowing you off or hedging their bets? Do you wonder if they are non-committal or not as knowledgeable as you thought? It could mean any of those things. Or it could

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My Biggest Pandemic Leadership Lessons – Four Years Later

It has been about four years since COVID-19 moved from virus to pandemic status. And those events changed how we view the world – and work – forever. At this four-year mark, I am looking at the biggest pandemic lessons I learned. After you read mine, I hope you will share your own in the

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The Power of Perception: What Are You Looking For?

There is a well-known game played on car trips. It is most often called “Slug bug” or “Punch buggy”. Regardless of the name, the game rewards those who see a VW Beetle (the “bug”) first. The first person to see the car in question can “slug” or “punch” the other person. (More details are here.)

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Another Way to Problem Solve

You’ve experienced this – as both the leader and meeting participant. The leader asks a question of the group, wanting and needing a response and gets…crickets. Having asked hundreds of leaders what they are thinking at that moment, about half say they wonder why people don’t care enough to say something or share their thoughts.

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What Matters Most When Hiring?

To truly understand the importance of hiring for teams and organizations, look at the cost of a bad selection. Beyond the direct costs associated with those poor matches, there are costs of time, effort, productivity, and training. Not to mention the potential hits taken to culture, trust, and morale. Any such “horror stories” should remind

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Using Schedule Send on Emails

You’ve likely been writing and sending emails most or all your professional life. Maybe you don’t even remember life without email. We write them, hit Send, and magically they arrive in the other person’s inbox. We’ve sent our message; our work is done. This magic is great, until it isn’t. We can make the magic

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