Field notesfrom the practice.Read in sixty seconds.
Brief, practical pieces on leadership, talent, succession, and the hard parts of running a business. Read in sixty seconds. Apply on Monday.
Why SMART Goals Can Be So Dumb
Why SMART Goals Can Be So Dumb Breaking the myth about SMART goals One of the big myths in employee development is that people are motivated by goals, or that goal setting is inherently motivating. If I’m planning a trip, my knowing the destination, knowing where I have to get to, doesn’t make the trip any…
Read the pieceThe #1 Reason Leadership Books Continue to Sell
The #1 Reason Leadership Books Continue to Sell It’s not what you think. What’s the #1 reason leadership books continue to sell?Guesses anyone?? Hmmm???Leadership books continue to sell because they don’t work.And that’s not a typo. Let’s face it; if just reading leadership books made us all better leaders, we’d have stopped reading them a…
Read the pieceNow More than Ever, Offer One Hand to Shake and One Throat to Squeeze.
Now More than Ever, Offer One Hand to Shake and One Throat to Squeeze Make it easy, and take full responsibility. Today more than ever, companies are looking for leaders at all levels. They’re looking for employees, whether or not they have people under their direction, to step up and demonstrate a greater ability to…
Read the pieceIs Your Company Heading for Talent Bankruptcy?
Is Your Company Heading for Talent Bankruptcy? And who even knows? “If businesses managed their money as carelessly as they managed their people, most would be bankrupt.” That’s how Bill Conaty and Ram Charan start their recent book Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers. And it’s hard to argue with them. Depending…
Read the pieceAre You Still Running On Your Hamster Wheel?
Are You Still Running On Your Hamster Wheel? And are you happier for it? In his 2005 Stanford commencement address, then CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, recalled a childhood memory:“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most…
Read the pieceFour Easy Ways to Empower Your People
Four Easy Ways to Empower Your People And it’s better than making sausage. “Empowers” is one of those words consultants just love. You can drive a bus through the breadth of its all-encompassing definition: “Mary/Bob Leader, as your trusted consultant, I can unequivocally state that you need to empower your people more.” The consultant beams,…
Read the pieceIf Your Company Needs First Aid, Don’t Cry for Help.
If Your Company Needs First Aid, Don’t Cry for Help. If everyone’s responsibe, then no one is responsible. Companies are struggling to find and hire employees. For every two job openings, there’s only one person looking. So what should you do about? Yes, you. Who’s leading the charge? The first thing to do is look…
Read the pieceLeadership, Pornography, and A Visit to Justice Stewart
Leadership, Pornography, and a Visit to Justice Stewart Do we really know it when we see it? Recently I was thinking about all the different definitions and descriptions people have for “leadership”. I think the same thing could probably be said for “leader”. If you ask 100 people todefine either term, you’re likely to get…
Read the pieceReal Leadership Development:You Know It’s Not Easy; It’s a Struggle.
Real Leadership Development:You Know It’s Not Easy; It’s a Struggle. Self-help books continue to sell because they don’t work. As many readers know, I don’t have a whole lot of respect for “how-to” books on leadership and management. I think they often convey a false sense of hope, in that by reading this book and…
Read the pieceWhat’s Your Story? Why Should Anyone Care?
What’s Your Story? Why Should Anyone Care? If you don’t know it, you’re at great risk. For many of us, this year and/or next year will involve a change in leadership at work. We either did get, or we will get, a new boss. And with any change in leadership, there’s an attendant change in…
Read the pieceWho’s More Lost: You or Your Luggage?
Who’s More Lost: You or Your Luggage? You may be temted to bivouac, but don’t. Take things into your own hands instead. The man beside me at the counter was irate. He didn’t yell, but you could see by the expression on his face and by his body language that he was incredulous. We had…
Read the pieceDoes Your Leadership Influence Travel at the Speed of Light?
Does Your Leadership Influence Travel at the Speed of Light? Leadership Lessons from the James Webb Telescope On December 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. Years earlier NASA had said, “JWST will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide….
Read the pieceWhy It’s a Great Time to Be Talented
Why It’s a Great Time to Be Talented In other words, do your HR and Senior Leaders have tattoos and body piercings? There are rumblings that the Great Resignation (large numbers of people quitting their jobs) is turning into the Great Regret (people realizing the grass isn’t always greener). Notwithstanding that some people may find…
Read the pieceReal Leaders Don’t Watch Movies
Real Leaders Don’t Watch Movies. They’re great to watch but not to emulate. “Show me the money!”“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”“Go ahead, make my day.”“Are you not entertained?”“You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Memorable quotes from memorable films….
Read the pieceFear: Maybe not a Friend, but a Reliable Companion
Fear: Maybe not a Friend, but a Reliable Companion It makes sense if you stand in the “scared” section. During a weekend at a local conference, I delivered a presentation on overcoming barriers to effective talent development. I also had the chance to attend other presentations too. At one, the facilitator split the room into…
Read the pieceWhat You Learn by Playing Poker
What You Learn by Playing Poker My friend and colleague Bob Silverstein (organizational crisis and change consultant), discusses the practical applications of studying and playing No Limit Texas Hold ’em poker. Bob, please tell us about your professional background.I’m a clinical social worker and consultant with over 25 years of experience as a crisis manager,…
Read the pieceWhat I Learned from Contracting COVID
What I Learned from Contracting COVID I learned that I’ve wasted far too much time. On a recent family vacation outside the country, I contracted COVID, notwithstanding being double vaxed, double boosted, and masked during travel. As they say, that totally sucked. Given people’s schedules and geographies, family gatherings are rarer these days; so, this…
Read the pieceWhy You Should Volunteer for 360-Feedback
Why You Should Volunteer for 360-Feedback You’ll learn more than just feedback. For some leaders, being the subject of 360-feedback is like your annual check-up at the dentist. You hope no one says anything you don’t want to hear. [For those that aren’t familiar with 360-feedback, it’s feedback you receive from everyone you work with, i.e.,…
Read the pieceThe Once In a Lifetime Event
The Once In a Lifetime Event Time to stop, just for a second, and enjoy the moment. If you’re the slightest bit Type A or high-achieving, I need you to stop thinking about work. Just for a second, literally. No need for a week-long Caribbean holiday. Just a second of pleasure. And don’t worry; work…
Read the pieceHow Will You Spend Your 1/2 Million Minutes?
How Will You Spend Your 1/2 Million Minutes? Don’t let them become a billboard on your highway. As of today, I’ve spent more than 522,270 minutes engaged in doing something this past year. Put into seconds, that’s more 31,000,000 seconds, the equivalent of 363 days. 31,000,000 is a big number. One would think it would…
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Brief, practical pieces on leadership, talent, succession, and the hard parts of running a business. Read in sixty seconds.