In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey builds a compelling case that we can all become skilled at building trust by cultivating 13 behaviors that focus on character and competence. Covey coins one of the 13 behaviors as “Get Better.” What he means is that we can and should continually improve at … Continue reading Build competence and get better!
Are you congruent?
Congruent, what’s that? Congruence is defined as behaving in a way in which your values and your actions match. Sounds simple, right? Over the last decade or so, I’ve done quite a bit of coaching with leaders who are preparing to interview for various leadership roles. One of my best pieces of advice to them … Continue reading Are you congruent?
Asking great questions
“I have learned that leadership is not about knowing all the answers. It’s about knowing what great questions to ask, and carefully listening to those answers.” – Patrick Thng, managing director, Development Bank of Singapore In my opinion, one of our best tools in leading others and communicating effectively is in asking great questions. Great … Continue reading Asking great questions
Leveraging the potential of diverse teams
In his 2016 book, Driven by Difference, David Livermore makes the case that high-functioning, diverse teams outperform homogenous teams. However, he says diversity by itself doesn’t contribute to organizational success unless it supports your organization’s mission. And, he adds that unless leaders leverage diversity’s potential, it can actually erode performance and productivity. So how can … Continue reading Leveraging the potential of diverse teams
Finding common ground
“I’m struck time and again by how often our political talk is about people who aren’t in the room. We almost always talk about them—“those people” in Washington, D.C., or in our state capitols—the people we hold responsible for all our political pathologies. Rarely to do we talk about us, the people who are in … Continue reading Finding common ground
Are you building or losing trust?
“There are no trust neutral interactions… you either build trust or lose trust.” I can’t remember the name of the person who said this at a conference I attended almost 20 years ago, but I can tell you the saying has stuck with me. I’ve found that I can walk away from each meeting or … Continue reading Are you building or losing trust?
How are we going to be when we gather together?
Being deliberate about how we we choose to "be" with others is important. The small act of demonstrating care for your team can build community and has the power to transform organizations.
Seek out diverse perspectives
This last week I've been working with an organization to seek out diverse perspectives before launching a new project. It's been enlightening to hear what people from different states, race/ethnicities, and backgrounds have to say in listening sessions and focus groups. And it reinforces my belief that seeking out diverse perspectives gives leaders greater insight. … Continue reading Seek out diverse perspectives
Leading remote teams in a COVID-19 world
Years ago, when telework was just emerging as a “thing,” I developed and delivered training to help leaders managing remote teams at the University of Minnesota. While it was useful training, it dealt with managing remote work teams during normal times, NOT times of crisis. Leading teams during this COVID-19 pandemic is unique and none … Continue reading Leading remote teams in a COVID-19 world
Make it OUR story
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about creating a compelling vision story, with the underlying assumption that the vision is often crafted by a leader and their leadership team. While that may often be the case, I’ve found the sooner leaders engage everyone in the organization in making the vision part of their collective … Continue reading Make it OUR story
