6 Communication Habits of Extraordinary Leaders (and How They Manage Conflict)
Like him or not, in my view President Obama is the epitome of a master communicator. Next time you see him on television notice his use of communication strategies including body language, voice inflection, gestures, and the intuitive ability to establish and maintain trust. Communication is critically important for personal and professional effectiveness. In my experience as an executive coach…
The Nine Deadly Sins of Leadership
Now, before you think I’m going to get all religious on you, let me define the word “sin.” In the original Hebrew language, sin is defined as ‘missing the mark’, much the same as an archer may miss the mark when shooting for a bull’s-eye. In my opinion, leadership starts with deep reflection to be aware of any limiting blind spots. The following nine (9) deadly sins will help you reflect on how…
Bad Leaders Don’t Forgive
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” ~Mahatma Gandhi Today I’m writing about a topic that is rarely talked about in the leadership domain, especially amongst corporate leaders. Now, before you poo-poo the idea, please allow me to explain further. In my opinion, forgiveness can’t be ignored, because to do so is to defy a natural law like gravity. Forgiveness…
Being A Courageous Leader
The Red Badge of Courage is a novel by Stephen Crane (1871–1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound, a "red badge of courage," to counteract his cowardice. When his regiment once again faces the enemy, Henry acts as standard-bearer. Seneca,…
Leadership Challenge – 11 Things To Evaluate
News Flash – better results are rarely achieved without implementing different thoughts and behaviors. For leaders seeking better results, it's important to understand you must challenge everything you know in order to stretch yourself and lead your organization to a better, healthier and more productive place. Innovation, growth, and development cannot occur by pretending we live in a world that…
Twisted Leadership
Never in the history of mankind has there been a greater need for leadership and yet there is a massive shortage. The reason is simple. Leadership is taught in universities and courses by intellectual ‘fu – k - wits’ who talk a good game but don’t play. Today’s model by and large teaches about leadership with fancy theories. What’s missing is the practical application of how to actually be a…
The Language of Leadership: 5 Actions To Transform Performance
Our organizational world is constituted and shaped by language. It is also accessed and made available to us through language. Language acts as the lens through which we can see and understand the challenges presented, and subsequently, make sense of and provide solutions for. In 1973, Salvador Allende, Chile's democratically elected president, died in a bloody coup. Fernando Flores, who was then…
Being A Great Leader: How Do You Balance Career Success and Happiness?
Being great, living an extraordinary life starts with waking up. Most people don't even know they are asleep. As the Jesuit spiritual leader, Anthony De Mello said, “They're born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. Yet all is well, and though everything is a mess in the world, all is very well.…
The Toxic Leader
There is a new definition of leadership in our lexicon. The seagull leader is someone who flies in, s**t’s over everything, and leaves. I’m constantly amazed when working inside organizations that the names and examples of such people come up constantly in the conversation. Yet rather than being weeded out, they seem to survive and thrive in an institutional ethic that values by choosing short…
Leadership and Conflict
Here's the thing - leadership and conflict go hand-in-hand. There's no getting around the fact leadership is a full-contact sport, and if you cannot address conflict in a healthy, productive fashion then you should not be in a leadership role. I would submit effectively dealing with conflict is one of the most valuable skills a leader can possess. From my perspective, the issues surrounding…
Leadership & Curiosity
Have you ever noticed how the best leaders also tend to be the most curious leaders? Great leaders simply aren't satisfied with what they know. They possess an insatiable curiosity for discovery and learning - they are in constant pursuit of what they don't know. Real leaders are not nearly as concerned with the status quo (stasis) as they are with betterment (change). Since the dawn of time, the…
Leadership & Perception
We’ve all heard the saying “perception is reality,” but is it true? Does perception never, rarely, sometimes, or always equal reality? While I long ago reached the conclusion perception does in fact matter, it may not be for the reasons you might think. I have found the majority of people tend to be myopic with regard to perception - they understand their own perceptions but are quite often…
Leadership Is About Breaking Things
There's often a very subtle difference between those who lead and those who lead well - those who lead well are very forward-focused. If you're more interested in protecting what is than you are finding the answer to what if you might be in a leadership role, but your likely not leading well. Order isn't all it's cracked up to be. In fact, I'd go so far as to say routine is the great enemy of…
Leadership and Office Politics
This is the time of year when most of us turn our attention to presidential politics, but let us not forget that business is also political - to think otherwise is simply naïve. Office politics exist in every organization without regard for industry, structure, culture, or values. Good leaders will do what they can to align interests/actions on matters more important than individual political…
Great Leaders Are Interesting – Are YOU?
Let's face it - the best leaders have always grabbed our attention and piqued our imagination. They have a way of captivating, fascinating, and intriguing us. It’s the interesting people with whom we want to engage, as they’re the ones who inspire and motivate us to be better and do more. The simple truth is few of us desire to be led by those whom we don’t find interesting. So my question is…
Leadership and Storytelling
Leadership and storytelling go hand-in-hand. In fact, leaders who lack the ability to leverage the power and influence of storytelling are missing the very essence of what accounts for compelling leadership, to begin with - the story. If you've ever been captivated by a skilled orator whose articulation and eloquence have influenced your thinking, you understand the power of the art of the story.…
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