“I see you ahead of me. You see me behind. Where are we going today?” Whether you subscribe to the notion of leaders having “followers” or not, let’s consider this: What do others trust your leadership, i.e. why do they literally follow your lead? Someone has to be first. Someone has to have a » Read More
We are entering the time of commencement speeches. Some may go viral while others will evaporate as soon as the words are spoken. It is an important time, nonetheless, as a younger generation enters the next phase of their life and leadership path. Read more here on SmartBlog.
Everything you do and say communicates SOMETHING. In fact, the most effective leaders know that their team’s performance hinges on being a great communicator. “Since we communicate whether we want to or not, it’s in our best interest to get good at it” David Grossman Communication Expert. When a leader communicates effectively, everyone understands the » Read More
As a leader I have encountered a diverse number of leaders each characterizing certain leadership styles. Some of these leaders have been effective, some not so effective, and some have been extraordinary. What type of leaders have I encountered? Here are a few that come to mind: “Gung-ho” leaders who lead zealously and are overly » Read More
“People go farther than they thought they could when someone else thinks they can.” John Maxwell Webster’s defines encouragement as the “the act of inspiring others with renewed courage renewed spirit or renewed hope.” Think of a time of when you had a problem and you needed to talk to someone. Who was the person » Read More
The movie 42 tells the story of how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier to become the first African American man to play Major League Baseball. Amidst continuous racial discrimination and taunting from fans and players alike, he led his team to a National League pennant in his first season. Robinson earned Rookie of the » Read More
Good Intentions Janet sipped her coffee, gathered herself, then looked up. “I wanted to be a good leader…you know – influenced based, focused on people, serving my team…” She took a breath and continued, “But then, we didn’t meet our sales goals and I…I turned into a monster.” She set down her mug, looked at » Read More
Last year at the State Fair I saw a vendor selling rocks. These weren’t just any rocks. You could heat them up, put them in a blanket and they would keep you warm. They glowed a gentle red when heated and retained their temperature for a long time. The banner above the rocks read: Experience » Read More
All leaders have been in a position where they are reluctant to tackle a difficult issue or to deal with a conflictual situation. Faced with these situations the predominant act for some is non-action and avoidance. Although I do not like to admit it, I have been in this situation and if you are honest » Read More
So Easy to Forget Whether you’ve led teams for decades or just started in your first leadership role, if you want to be effective, there are fundamental truths you cannot afford to ignore. You may even be familiar with them, but they are easy to forget and many leaders ignore them – at great risk » Read More
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