You’ve taken your first head coaching job, executive position or perhaps even become a CEO. You are simultaneously excited and overwhelmed. You look forward to the challenge and the opportunity. In order to capitalize on your success, you’ll need to avoid these common pitfalls that frequently occur with the big promotion. Mistake #1: Managing Versus […]
posted on May 8, 2021 by
Five Signs You are a Self-Aware Leader
Years ago, a CEO I was working with said to me, “You know, no one gets to be a CEO without an ego.” What struck me about his comment was that I perceived him as one of the lowest ego CEOs I have ever worked with. He possessed the self-awareness to understand that he had […]
posted on January 18, 2020 by
The Right and Wrong Ways to Use Executive Coaching
Executive coaching has become an explosive field. I’ve seen examples of highly successful coaching and also witnessed extremely poor practice. Making an investment in executive coaching requires significant time and resources for any individual or organization. Given that investment, here are some thoughts that will help maximize your coaching benefits. Start With The Right Assessment […]
posted on July 17, 2019 by
Do You Serve Or Lead?
You finally obtained your dream job. Your title might be CEO, vice-president, head coach, orchestra conductor or school principal. Regardless of your craft, now your success depends on your ability to motivate, develop and coach those you lead. As a senior leader, you’ll be evaluated on the performance of others rather than your own direct […]
posted on May 26, 2018 by
Can Confidence and Humility Coexist in a Leader?
A Lesson in the Airport The other day I was in an airport lounge preparing for my latest consulting trip. The lounge was filled with the usual business types chatting on their cell phones, having drinks and generally conveying an air of self-importance. An employee came by to clean up my area, collecting glasses and […]
posted on August 3, 2017 by
5 Steps To Resiliency
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Wharton professor Adam Grant have recently released a new book on resilience. Sandberg lost her husband suddenly in 2015. As she struggled to adjust to life without her mate she became interested in resiliency and how she could demonstrate this quality in response to her own personal tragedy. As I came across […]
posted on June 28, 2017 by
Transparency: Corporate Buzzword or Leadership Necessity?
Our world these days is filled with jargon and nowhere is that more apparent than in the realm of leadership. Every few years another term takes hold that is often used mindlessly in an attempt to motivate and inspire. In reality, these terms are often dismissed by experienced team members as the latest flavor of […]
posted on May 4, 2017 by
What All Leaders Can Learn from NASCAR
This weekend the NASCAR racing series returns to the Talladega Speedway. Last year I was interviewed by Megan Englehart of Fox Sports about the pressures facing young drivers in the Truck Series elimination race at this track. As the circuit returns to Talladega this year, I’ve reflected on some lessons all leaders can learn from high-pressure events […]
posted on August 9, 2016 by
5 Reasons Leaders Don’t Give Tough Feedback
Most of us agree we can’t be great without candid feedback, especially about things we can improve in ourselves and our performance. Yet often we don’t receive this feedback at all or react poorly when we do. Lisa McKale recently published a very nice infographic on Resourceful Manager regarding this topic. In my experience these are typical reasons […]
posted on September 9, 2013 by
Thoughts On Leadership From A Fortune 20 Executive
I’m fortunate that practically all my corporate clients genuinely care about leadership and demonstrate this commitment in our engagement. However, many executives claim to be interested in leadership yet their behavior often doesn’t match their speech. I’ve recently crossed paths with a senior leader (not a client) who writes about and demonstrates leadership. Karin Hurt […]