Teamwork
DO YOU GROOM YOUR LEADERS OR JUST PROMOTE THEM?
“It was her turn,” said the CEO. I had asked the CEO how a specific member of their leadership team was promoted to that position. I’ve heard other answers like, “They’ve been with me a long time.” “I trust them. She is very loyal.” “He needed to make more money.” “My [family member] needed a…
Read MoreJUGGLING TIPS
Juggling is great art and exercise. It is tied to agility and some studies show it can even increase brain capacity. It is a unique characteristic of humans to be able to manage more things at one time than hands. When we use our minds instead of our hands, it is called multi-tasking. I won’t…
Read MoreTHE ELEPHANT AND THE DEER (an Elephant Tales story)
As the Elephant’s company continued to grow, he noticed his team of ants struggle to keep up with the volume of work. The ants worked hard, and he hired new ones as fast as possible, but the higher volumes and faster turnarounds seemed beyond the ants’ skill and experience. The Elephant decided to hire a…
Read MoreTHE ONE THING YOU CAN’T DO FOR YOURSELF
The one thing you can’t do for yourself… is to coach yourself. Here’s why. You can’t see what you can’t see. Everyone has blind spots. A coach can be an extra set of eyes to assist you in “seeing” and understanding things going on in your organization, marketplace, or even within your leadership team, that…
Read MoreHerding Cats
Ever and feel like you spend a lot of time “herding cats.” Do you spend time wondering: Why don’t they just do what they are supposed to? Why do I have to do all the thinking around here? Why can’t they just do what they are told? Before you start banging your head against the…
Read MoreAre You Leading Or Complaining?
My son played basketball in his teens, and one day I was searching the Internet for a summer skills camp. I came across a video of a coach teaching his players. The coach on the video said leadership is the entire team’s job, not just one person’s. You need to know the play. You need…
Read MoreManaging The Two “Black Holes” of Business
Marketing and Customer Service are the two “black holes” of business. Both are critical, but neither is ever complete. Unlike more tangible areas of work there is no “quota” to exceed, there is no “inventory” to manage, there is no “work order” to complete. But no matter how much is invested in Marketing and Customer…
Read MoreA Powerful Tool and Underutilized Tool for Business Leaders
It Is Lonely At The Top Yeah it’s a cliché, but it’s also true. I’ve mentioned this in several postings because it is something every CEO has to deal with to achieve clarity and peace of mind. One underutilized tool to help with this is a CEO peer groups (also called CEO roundtables). A CEO…
Read MoreSuper Hero or Super Team
One of my clients had a short-term opportunity in his line of business as a result of external forces (think demand for gas generators and bottled water after a hurricane). And they jumped on it to take full advantage. They worked all weekend to get the extra product and then had a long week fulfilling…
Read MoreElevating Your Leadership Team in Five Simple Steps
As company goals and strategic plans are being set for next year, there is a question I commonly hear whispered by CEOs and organization leaders. How do I elevate my team so we can take the company/organization to the next level? Great question. The key to answering this question is to know the core reason…
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