If the correct thing to do isn’t obvious or easy enough, we usually do whatever seems best at that moment, even if it violates norms. When norms are violated multiple times, though, they generate a... Continue reading
Bringing a new person on to the team almost always takes more work than expected. No matter how senior your team is, it can take significant effort to get the new person integrated with the... Continue reading
When a new executive joins your team, it can be frightening and frustrating. Their new ideas may not mesh with the current culture, strategy, or environment. You wish they understood how the company really works,... Continue reading
Most new hires at senior levels come in full of ideas, gumption, and, perhaps, a tacit assumption that things must not have been going perfectly before they were hired. They arrive believing they are going... Continue reading
If an apology is observably insincere, what’s the point? Politicians, celebrities, and athletes are often taken to task for pro forma or grudging apologies that don’t express true remorse, take responsibility, show recognition of the... Continue reading
You can’t directly motivate anyone, but you can definitely create conditions in which people choose to contribute, participate, innovate, and push themselves. Demonstrating your own commitment helps set the bar for the team -- not... Continue reading
Challenging a leader’s directives can be frightening. “The powerful are often oblivious to their impact,” wrote Adam Galinsky in a New York Times article, “When in Charge Your Whisper May Feel Like a Shout.” So... Continue reading
Everybody’s had at least one boss they didn’t trust and desperately wanted to escape. But you probably learned invaluable lessons from that boss about how people should and shouldn’t be treated. You might even have... Continue reading
According to an old Swahili proverb: “When the elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.” That’s certainly true in organizations where executives have ongoing disagreements. Whether the situation involves explicit, pitched battles, or covert, passive-aggressive... Continue reading
You see your colleagues every day, or at least several times a week. You all get along, appreciate each other’s good intentions, and care about the company. And yet, some of your colleagues’ behaviors drive... Continue reading
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