Category: Leadership
Primary Prognosis: You Can’t Be Conflict-Averse and Win
Any leader who doesn’t stand up when it’s time to stand up will not be a successful leader for the long term. A leader who is consistently unable or unwilling to stand up won’t ever... Continue reading
Want to Be Your Managerial Best? Try a Walk in the Woods
“You’re always saying how important it is to see the forest and the trees,” read the email from a guy I mentor. He’s a high-performing high potential whose career is at the inflection point between... Continue reading
Does “Radical Candor” Really Work?
Let’s talk about “radical candor” now, before it gets too popular. Radical candor, also known as “front-stabbing,” is the management “secret” of former Google director Kim Scott. This direct form of critique is meant to... Continue reading
Do You Need to Stop a Passive-Aggressive Person from Slowing Down Your Team?
“I’m at my wits’ end,” my client said during our monthly call, and he explained how frustrating interpersonal dynamics were hobbling his team, making them work smaller and less creatively. Mostly, he said, the problem... Continue reading
How to Manage Your Anxious “Tells” at Work
The senior director sighed. He had just conducted the third interview of the afternoon, and we only had a couple of minutes to debrief before the next one. “How well do these candidates stack up?”... Continue reading
How to Survive Working with a Prima Donna
Have you paid the price when a melodramatic, self-aggrandizing team member has hurt your organization by spreading unnecessary chaos and discontent? “Artistes” like this have never learned how to share top billing, glory, or status... Continue reading
The Leadership Styles of The Princess Bride
The slyly comic cult classic The Princess Bride has been in the news lately thanks to Republican presidential politics. It’s struck me that many of the leading roles show up from time to time in... Continue reading
Have You Ever Worked with Anyone Like Donald Trump?
Trump. The very name encapsulates his behaviors: to outdo, undermine, outmaneuver, and win. The word isn’t exactly synonymous with teamwork, collaboration, or shared success. Not surprisingly, it’s tough working with someone who has Trump’s aggressiveness... Continue reading