In recognition of President’s Day this week and my exploration of the personal characteristics, skills, and abilities that make leaders successful, I thought it is apropos to focus on a president who exuded integrity. Integrity is a bedrock characteristic of the greatest leaders, who build both trust AND respect from the people they lead. George … Continue reading Leading with integrity
Navigating the future
What skill sets do you think leaders need in our rapidly changing world? Read more and comment on my blog below.
Leadership insights from Lincoln
"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." -- Abraham Lincoln During this extraordinary time in history with a global pandemic, social unrest, and deep political divides, I am convinced that ALL leaders need sound character to lead effectively, … Continue reading Leadership insights from Lincoln
Happiness fuels success reboot
With winter in Minnesota and all the restrictions of the pandemic in full force, in addition to social unrest stressors, I thought it apropos to reshare a post I wrote a few years ago, about how happiness fuels success. What leader doesn't need to get a big boost of happiness at the start of 2021 … Continue reading Happiness fuels success reboot
Assume good intent
Want to build trusting relationships fast? Start with assuming good intent! According to Stephen M.R. Covey and Greg Link, when people in one part of an organization are asked to interface with another part, they often start with assumptions of negative intent such as: “Is there a hidden agenda?” “What is her real motive?” “Is … Continue reading Assume good intent
Good intent is not enough
“Having spent many years trying to define the essentials of trust, I arrived at the position that if two people could say two things to each other and mean them, then there was the basis for real trust. The two things were “I mean you no harm” and “I seek your greatest good.” –Jim Meehan, … Continue reading Good intent is not enough
Build competence and get better!
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
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
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