Due your due diligence when building a team and get involved in the selection process. Your direct reports need to match your quality standards as well as their personality needs to fit with the rest of the team. Once you have built your team, empower them and get out of their way. Don’t micromanage, trust them and allow them to …
Experience trumps education
As someone who has attended his fair share of academic programs and has definitely found value in each of them I have to say that education is important and should never truly end. It is a process, not a finite event and can come in many forms and shapes. However, first-hand experience with particular products, services or technologies beats anything …
Relaxed and creative environment
One of many leadership responsibilities (both formal and informal) is to create and maintain a relaxed and creative environment for your team as that is a major prerequisite to them performing at their very best. Be professional, courteous and aware of varying needs of your team members, but ensure that each of them enjoys being part of that team.
Meetings don’t have to suck
Meetings don’t have to suck…well, most of them do actually, but with a bit of structure and clear objectives they could be less of a nuisance. Some of the important things to consider are: Share the agenda at least 24 hours in advance (it allows for participants to arrive prepared and ready to contribute) Keep the meetings focused on the …
Balanced life
We are all different and unique in our own ways and as such we are driven by different things, people, goals and ideas. One of the greatest advice I have received by those I admire is to find what I care about and enjoy and what do I want to do for years to come. Once you do a bit …
Get to the point
Have something intelligent and valuable to say? Please get to it by all means and do it today if possible. 😉 Many people have a ton of valuable ideas, yet they either don’t share them (for whatever reason) or end up taking way too long to get their point across. If are part of a team it is important to …
Entitlement will get you nowhere
We are all equal and organizational rules, policies and procedures apply to all alike. Do your best, no matter how urgent something is not to become a person who comes off as entitled; who believes and acts as if they are better than others, because chances are that you are not. Arrogant and entitled behavior actually speaks volumes about you …
New? Listen, absorb and learn, then act
Started a new job? First order of business is to listen, absorb and learn the culture, environment and players within. Depending on your placement within the organization the impact of your decisions and actions will vary and as such it is essential to educate yourself with the current state of affairs. Your experience is essential, but don’t assume that every …
Success is theirs, failures are all yours
Promote your team and their achievements whenever possible, be proud of them and make sure that their contributions to the organization are known and recognized. On the other hand, when a failure occurs it is the responsibility of a leader to deal with any and to face any public ramifications and consequences. One of many leadership responsibilities is to protect …
Made a mistake? Own it, apologize and fix it
All leaders and all organizations make mistakes and will continue to make mistakes. However, what differentiates them is how they react after the mistake has been made. If a mistake (whatever it may be, a security breach, performance or stability issues…) is made by you or your organization as a whole, own it, apologize, fix it and learn from that …