Business Leadership
Leadership Minute Video: We All Lead Volunteers
Leadership Minute Video: Kate Best and Leadership Accountability
Leadership Minute Video: Peterson Auto Museum
Leadership Minute Video: Candace Gorley
Dan Allender on Leadership Vulnerability
“. . . to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues.”
“. . . to the degree you attempt to hide or dissemble your weaknesses, the more you will need to control those you lead, the more insecure you will become, and the more rigidity you will impose — prompting the ultimate departure of your best people.”
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Read MoreLeadership Focus, Karin & the Multitasking Myth
I disagree with Karin. I have for five years. And I’m hoping to win her over. Let me explain why I think this is important for my leadership effectiveness and hers.
As our business expanded five years ago, my wife and I realized that day-to-day operations were growing beyond our abilities. We are both great “starters.” Vision, energy, creating-something-out-of-nothing, putting it all on the line to make something happen: in hindsight, that’s what we did.
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Read MoreLeadership Abdication
Who’s in charge? This is a huge leadership question. While it would seem to have a simple answer – the leader is – too often simple isn’t easy.
Leaders are too often guilty of trying to be consensus-builders instead of leaders. Or politicians instead of leaders. Or hand-wringers instead of leaders. Or one of my greatest fears, leadership abdication: a leader acting as a constituency-pleaser instead of a leader.
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Read MoreThe Leadership Six: 6 numbers that need to be front-of-mind for every good leader
Here are the most important Leadership Numbers we need to remember: 1-3-5 and 2-4-6. Depending on the level of your leadership investment, there are two other numbers that may be important to you: 5 and 10. More about those leadership numbers in a minute. But first, the first three leadership numbers:
1-3-5
The first three numbers represent weeks. A good leader is purposeful about the now and the very near future.
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Read MoreA Key Leadership Question: Are We Having Fun?
Bill Hybels, in his excellent book, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs, reminds me again: people should enjoy their jobs as much as they are good at their jobs. When I do a reality check with my management team and ask them how they are doing, I look should be looking for two things:
- Is the mission being accomplished?
- Are they enjoying their job?
If the mission is being accomplished but they are not enjoying their job,
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Read MoreLeadership: Measure Twice, Cut Once
Before our daughter was born, I spent several years making furniture as a hobby. I would typically build one project a year: an armoire, a headboard, a cabinet, etc. I learned a lot about woodworking doing those projects, and also at least one vital lesson about leadership.
The way I got into woodworking was through a local community college. A friend of mine told me about a night class he took each fall that really only consisted of having access to a local high school’s very nice woodworking shop,
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