When clients describe the leader they want me to coach, they invariable use the word “smart” or “genius.” Assuming your leaders really are smart, do they also bring out the best in others? If your employees were both intellectually gifted and effective managers, your employer should be outmaneuvering competitors. Is that consistently happening? The late Stephen Covey succinctly put his finger on the conundrum: Some corporations have made hiring the most intelligent individuals a core … [Read more...]
Why Do Leaders Deceive Themselves?
The secret of rulership is to combine a belief in one’s own infallibility with the power to learn from past mistakes. ~ George Orwell As much as we'd like to believe that we're rational human beings, we can all too easily mislead ourselves. Self-deception is a process that encourages us to justify our false and invalid beliefs. Individuals, organizations and communities experience self-deception — the root of most problems, according to the Arbinger Institute, a Utah-based consulting … [Read more...]
Flight from Conversation: What social media has brought
I was at an association meeting a few days ago where the topic was about Gen Y and how wonderful they are at connecting through social media. Like 24/7. Cool! I'm thinking that they are really avoiding conversations and texting snipets of thoughts that need to be dumbed down because there's no time to fully explain. They're avoiding emotional and, at times, messy interactions with "friends." Sure enough, today (4/22/12) in the New York Times there's a brilliant and thoughtful article that … [Read more...]
OFFICE POLITICS: Surviving and Thriving — If You’re Savvy
Political savvy is a vital competence for any executive, but it’s not taught in leadership or grad school courses. In fact, the term “office politics” has received a bad rap. (Words like “Machiavellian,” “manipulative” and “conspiratorial” come to mind.) Tales of political sabotage, power plays and turf wars are part of any organization’s history. Nonetheless, political competence is the one skill everyone wishes to have more of—but no one talks about it. When you ask people how they achieve … [Read more...]
A Manager’s Recurring Nightmare: Conflict’s Complexity
Charlie Sheen may be our new “model” for how to effortlessly embarrass yourself and undermine your career by instigating turmoil and conflict (and he made over $1 million per episode). As he and others are publicized, it’s no wonder the concept of conflict is associated with something that is inevitable and invariably bad. On the company front, managers spend an inordinate amount of time putting out fires, particularly interpersonal ones. In my executive coaching practice, I’d guess that at … [Read more...]
Positive Leadership: 3 Steps to Real Results
The No. 1 reason why most Americans leave their jobs is the feeling they’re not appreciated. In fact, 65% of people surveyed said they received no recognition for good work in a previous year, according to Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, authors of How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life (2004). According to newer Gallup research, what employees want most — along with competitive pay — is quality management. When they feel unappreciated and disapprove of their managers, … [Read more...]