It can be quite startling to recognize how often leaders and other people with authority and status behave ineffectively. Their difficulties can be interpersonal, as when a leader shows favoritism to specific individuals or groups... Continue reading
After months of working together, Steve really thought he and his boss, Mitch, had come to an understanding: Mitch would focus on strategy and marketing while Steve would handle day-to-day operations and virtually all communication... Continue reading
Here’s a situation that no one wants to be in. Let’s say you report to the founder/CEO of a startup. The founder has no management experience and the startup has grown beyond a size they... Continue reading
This post originally appeared on Forbes. Most of us believe that being in a successful relationship with our boss, colleagues or subordinates means we understand each other well and feel aligned and in sync on—well,... Continue reading
Last week, a client asked me this question: “Is it okay to hire my friend/cousin/other connected person in my ecosystem?” I replied that it could be terrible–particularly if and when the job comes to an... Continue reading
An executive asked me the other day, “When a company hires you to fix a problem, what do you look for?” It varies from organization to organization, but I described a pretty typical set of... Continue reading
This post originally appeared on Forbes. Don’t be surprised if you recognize yourself in the pages of The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears Into Your Leadership Superpower by Morra Aarons-Mele. Most of us are anxious in some... Continue reading
We bring a lot of mental and emotional “stuff” to our conflicts—things that we do without thinking about them consciously. I’ve thought a lot about this “unattended baggage” since my wonderful chat with Richard Atherton,... Continue reading
Before taking on a new coaching client, I asked his boss if she thought he really wanted to change. I told her I wasn’t interested in working with him unless he was willing to change... Continue reading
Truly good leadership is not a fixed thing. It’s situational and requires sizing up the reality around you and adjusting to it. It’s the opposite of doing whatever worked for you in the past even... Continue reading
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