Succession planning is known to be important. It is a process intended to help organizations have highly effective leaders in the right places. Yet, it is misunderstood and often mis-applied (more on that in a second). In part because of those missteps, I propose it is time to consider another mental framework. One to create

Read More

Gratitude. It seems like a personal thing. We know that when we feel grateful, we feel better. But the research says that gratitude is more than a good feeling. That gratitude has measurable benefits for just about every area of our lives. But it isn’t just a personal experience. When we are grateful, we are

Read More

It happened yesterday and it happens nearly every time I am training a group of leaders. Many will say they want to learn how to motivate their team members. I certainly understand the goal and purpose for the desire, but I think it is shortsighted and perhaps sub-optimal. I suggest a different approach – one

Read More

Should everyone on your team be in the office all the time? Can the work be done from home or somewhere else? Is hybrid work the right answer for your team or just a messy compromise? We get asked these questions all the time. It’s not always easy to get the right answer. But whatever

Read More

Leadership styles are a major part of many leadership development programs. It is a popular way to train leaders. Give them a sense of who they are and how they can be most effective in their important and complex. The modern concept of leadership styles has been around since the late 1930’s. It is typically

Read More

Search online for “lists of leadership competencies,” and you’ll find hundreds of lists from various groups, companies, and experts. Ranging in length from 5-32 competencies, these well-intended lists can be helpful in designing learning plans and expectations for leaders. But too often, I find that a fundamental leadership competency is missing from these lists: The best

Read More

In today’s society, opposition seems to be everywhere. Many see opposition as something to avoid or overcome. Afterall, someone opposing us stands between us and our objective. Increasingly, this leads to argumentative stances and win/lose conversations. Regardless of how we feel about opposition as a societal issue, that same example can potentially poison our organizations.

Read More

Ask any CEO if they would like greater productivity in their organization and you will get a resounding “yes.” That’s not to say that they are generally displeased with the current level of productivity. But more would be better for many reasons. Improved organizational productivity reduces costs and talent shortages, while increasing innovation and (when

Read More

There are a number of misconceptions and generalizations about work from home, remote work, and hybrid work. If you read the pro-remote from home bloggers, nobody is in the office, nor should they be. The traditional business press says everybody’s going back to the office so just shut up and comply. So what’s the real

Read More

Any learning and development professional can prescribe 20 ways for people to learn stuff at work. They will talk of platforms, e-learning, micro-learning, webinars, training, and much more. While those all have a place, there is a powerful method that we all know – but sometimes forget. Humans learn from each other. Peer learning at

Read More