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The two things you’ll get as a leader.

As a leader, we wear many hats. After all the buck stops...well you know where. Recently, I had a conversation with a young man who just graduated from high school. He was inquiring about the leader's role. Not so much of the day-to-day functions, but "big picture" (his words) I went on to describe as best as I could the "big picture" for him. Leaders are people developers, change agents, decision makers, problem solvers, visionaries, culture protectors, strategy developers, coaches, communicators, talent recruiters, conflict managers, team builders...and well I'll stop there. He said to me,  "Wow, that is a ton of things you have to do!" The Leader has his/her plate full with responsibility. Yes the buck stops with us.  [...]

By |2021-09-22T11:44:46+00:00September 22nd, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

The key to positive reinforcement.

What I know to be true is, if we want better performance from our people, we must deliver feedback on their performance quickly, honestly, and consistently. The GOOD: psychologists tell us behaviors that are reinforced are often repeated. Positive reinforcement is like oxygen. I actually had a business leader tell me “Why should I reinforce a compliment to someone I am paying to get the job done?” You gotta be kidding? Actually, he was serious. He is “old school” I’m the boss, do what I say etc. He dismissed the advice as “too soft." He continued with the sentiment that only when his employees knock it out of the park does he compliment them. What a missed opportunity. His head was [...]

By |2021-09-15T01:03:41+00:00September 15th, 2021|Coaching, Leadership|0 Comments

Do your key people feel known and valued?

If someone were to ask you if your key people knew they were valued by you, how would you answer? I recently asked that question to a business owner and he unequivocally said, "Of course they feel valued." We took a deeper dive to determine how he was so certain. Through our discovery, he shamefully admitted he wasn’t connecting with his best like he used to. In fact, he said, “I think I was subconsciously taking them for granted.” He further pointed out he was doing more talking when they met, and probably not as much listening. Here is what I have learned to be true, embedded deep in our DNA as humans is the desire to feel connected and [...]

By |2021-09-07T19:35:51+00:00September 7th, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

Get out of here.

As a reminder to all of us who lead others -- your office may be your own trap!  Yes, we may have a private office, perhaps the “corner office," -- the office may be a reward for hard work, dedication and getting results. But the physical office itself can be a trap. Well that may be a slight exaggeration. However, just be aware. To really know what is going on with the peeps, we must invest the time to get out there and talk with them. Out there walking around and visiting them is one of the best ways to learn what people are thinking. I do realize this suggestion is time consuming. I can tell you by all accounts [...]

By |2021-09-01T12:06:52+00:00September 1st, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

How is your alignment? 

Yes, your alignment. I’m not referring to your golf swing or your tires on your car. I am talking about your people and their alignment with your goals, vision and mission. As leaders we can’t hope for alignment, we need assurance we have it. Below is what I have learned to be true when it comes to determining if we are in alignment in these critical areas: Always share what is going on (believe me, the good ones want to know). Help them understand the WHY. The WHY will engage them. Always ask for input— demonstrate your excellent listening skills by just listening. Let them know you heard them. Always seek commitment. You have a better opportunity to gain a [...]

By |2021-08-17T18:51:58+00:00August 17th, 2021|Coaching, Connecting, Leadership|0 Comments
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