Tag: responsibility
What to Do When Priorities Are in Conflict
Expand your market share. Increase your margin. Reorganize your team. Given the constant drumbeat of new and changing initiatives, it’s reasonable to wonder which priorities are truly the most important. I hear about this from... Continue reading
This Is How to Lead from the Ground Up
Leadership can be a function of raw power, or of influence. Based on analysis of a current news item, here are seven underlying principles that, when applied properly and consistently, ought to make any leadership... Continue reading
Accountability: Be Careful What You Wish For
“Why is no one ever held accountable here?” A vice president was fuming at me, and not for the first time. “Why do we always act like everything’s fine instead of holding people accountable?” I’ve... Continue reading
Want More Engaged Employees? Help Your Leaders Improve
Do an online search for “employee engagement” and you’ll get 10.6 million hits. Search for “employee attrition” and you’ll come up with 1.38 million hits. The old line is that employees don’t leave companies, they... Continue reading
Caution! Why You Need to Cut Down on the Risks of Precipitous Action
Years ago, I had a client who actually used to say, “Fire! Aim! Ready!” when he was issuing some decree or other. This business owner acknowledged he was shooting from the hip, reacting suddenly and... Continue reading
Stay Out of the Trap of One-Off Leadership
Many business owners prefer to make all their decisions on a case-by-case basis, as determined by their deep understanding of individual circumstances and well-developed gut instinct. They resist creating formal policy, believing that each situation... Continue reading
Watch Out for 3 Surprising Mistakes in Executive Hiring
Why would you ever consider hiring someone whose behavior you disrespect? Eventually, the relationship will end in tears -- and if you’re not the one crying, you’ll be handing out the Kleenex. But it can... Continue reading
Stuck in the Middle with Management
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right / Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.” The Stealers Wheels song wasn’t explicitly addressing middle management, but “stuck” is what it often... Continue reading