Last week, I wrote about one of my clients who told me he was “too busy for the soft stuff.” He explained that he didn’t have enough time for regular one-to-one meetings with his top performers. As he put it, ”too busy putting out the fires.” He pointed out they are not ignored. They know they can come to me anytime they need me or have an issue. I asked him what would happen if he intentionally connected with them first instead of just responding. It seemed I got his attention when I asked him if he was too busy for his best and who he had time for. Who is getting your valuable time? Our meeting was about 6 -7 [...]

Regardless of your business or product, you are in the people business. And people are about relationships. I realize that is the soft side of leadership for some. Some may even believe they don’t have time for "the soft stuff.” Several months ago, a leader in my leadership development program told me he was too busy for the soft stuff. I told him I could appreciate it; it was about getting results. He is in a highly competitive, fast-paced business. We discussed the relevancy and importance of connecting with his best and learning more about what “makes them tic." What are their primary concerns? How can he, as the leader, support them more, provide resources for them to grow, and, in [...]

As leaders, one of our primary responsibilities is to grow our people. They will grow the business. We need to create an environment for growth where continual learning is expected. Leadership also models this behavior. I am a strong believer in one-to-one coaching, which involves a designated time/ frequency to be determined together. I have found that a designated time is the most effective way of connecting and learning what is really happening in their world. The leader is 100% locked into the coachee, and the leader stays curious and asks open-ended questions. I believe three factors influence performance: The degree to which you sincerely believe they can achieve more. The degree to which they believe that you believe that. The [...]

In most instances, our society tends to use the term accountability to determine who we punish when something has gone wrong. As leaders who are growing are people who, in turn grow our organizations, let's try a different approach to accountability. Let's "front-load" accountability. Here is what I mean. When you front-load accountability, you include specificity in your commitment. We don't simply say, "I expect you to do a good job." When we front-load, we clarify precisely what we want to be done, what success looks like, and why this is important. There is no ambiguity to the expectation. In an accountability culture, people take ownership of what is expected of them. They feel responsible for their team members and [...]