How many times have we seen an achievement oriented, technically sound employee get that big promotion to manager and then struggle to find firm footing on this new ground? A different set of skills is required to be a successful leader, compared to the skills necessary to be the task oriented achiever. The secret is learning to understand how to … Read More
We all know leadership charisma when we see it, but understanding its components is a different matter. Sometimes it is hard to define because it can mean so many different things to so many people. Here is one definition I like: “a special quality of leadership that captures the employees’ imagination and inspires allegiance and devotion” (adapted from www.yourdictionary.com). Harvard … Read More
I have. It was one of the most humbling, educational and teachable moments of my career. It taught me to be a more effective communicator, to truly understand the impact leaders and managers have on an employee’s life and well-being, and how to fire someone the right way. Hiring and firing comes with the territory of just about any management … Read More
Changing your leadership style and mindset to be more of a “coach” means investing more of your time with your employees. That is a challenge for just about all of us. With increasing workloads and limited resources, how can you justify the investment? For me, I think it goes back to my personal experience as an employee on one rung … Read More
One of my clients asked me if she should apologize to her team after feeling she had not defended their work in a recent meeting with a cantankerous customer. She and two of her direct reports were in a strategy meeting and her teammates were pitching their ideas to an overly critical and disrespectful customer. To make matters worse, she … Read More
