In our instant access, instant disclosure world, it’s important to bear in mind that as a leader you don’t get a free pass on inappropriate behavior. What you get is a write up in the National Inquirer that you lost your cool. Of course, I don’t mean this literally, I mean it figuratively. But the point […]
The opportunity has arrived! You’ve been anointed as the heir apparent. Congratulations…you are now the boss. You can start telling everyone what to do. NO! Keep your humility, drop the swagger… I said drop it! Keep a clear head as you proceed. Lead First…Delegate Later Sorry to be so immovable on this point BUT, in my experience […]
Communication of any type is always open to interpretation. Even face to face conversations are influenced by body language and other factors. Email is perhaps the most prone to misinterpretation as there is no auditory tone nor physical delivery. It’s just text. So before you fire off an email, especially one that contains potentially tough information, here […]
They don’t get it. Why do they still ask the same questions? I really have these issues handled. Many a President/CEO I’ve heard utter these laments. And each time I hear them, I begin x-raying the situation. Most often I find that a set of Board members have been unwittingly orphaned by the exec. By orphaned […]
“I think the world of Jane but she seems to be in over her head. But, I’ve got to advance her division.” These decisions are tough for many leaders. On one hand, you know, trust and enjoy working with Jane. On the other hand, over the past six months, her area has significantly declined in […]
Your View: I am ready for a seat at the executive table. Your Boss’ View: Nope…not yet. Your Reaction: What’s wrong with me? There’s Nothing Wrong I certainly understand the feeling that there must be something wrong or you’d be getting the call to go up the majors. That call will come. You just need […]
Receiving feedback that stings is always difficult. None of us wants a scarlet letter on us regarding our behavior. In my previous blog post, I spoke about the value of feedback and the gift it actually is, providing you hold it as such. One of the best ways to begin to neutralize feedback like this is […]
Of course it’s not you. The job…that’s the real issue, right? If only your skills were being put to use in a more productive way. Oh really? As you develop as an executive, and coach others as well, you will discover that leadership is more about the courage and desire to change than it is about finding […]
Selling and consulting are more than just accomplishing a singular goal. They are about managing relationships so that you know you are delivering solutions that will impact your client’s business. It is also about keeping that relationship as one of value to you and treating it with respect. Below, I list four skills I believe are […]
A while back, I did some consulting with a major retailer in the men’s luxury garment area. My task was to assess their sales teams throughout the US and create a development plan to increase their sales. One of the first steps I recommended was that I peform a “secret shopper” evaluation to understand their […]
