Top performers matter. Your top 10% of employees matter the most as they are the ones who truly move the needle and make a positive difference in your strategy and operations. This is why you must be strategic and thoughtful when it comes to managing their careers in a sense. Executive leadership must know who the best employees are at …
Tell me about your worst boss ever
Never speak ill of someone you work for. No matter what may have happened, publicly, you always need to have your boss’ back. Privately, you will hopefully have an opportunity to speak honestly and share your thoughts, ideas and comments. Conversely, don’t allow anyone to badmouth you or your team especially if they haven’t approached you first or have nothing …
Manage egos, collaborate, communicate and include others
Manage egos and put the needs of everyone ahead of any individual needs. Collaborate, communicate and leverage skills and experience from other teams, groups and departments for the betterment of the entire organization. If other teams as asking to get involved, don’t take that as encroachment, but rather look at it as an extended, helping hand intended to contribute in …
To lead you must follow
To lead you must have followers, to have followers you must follow. Confused? Let’s explain it a bit better. Before you can become a leader you must know how to lead, you must know what works and what doesn’t. One of the best ways to learn this is by following others and experiencing how it is done well (or perhaps …
Our leaders lack self awareness
Self-awareness is essential for everyone, and it is even more important for those in leadership positions with strategic responsibilities. Leaders must know what their strengths are and even more importantly they must know what are the areas where they are not as comfortable at this time. Continue educating yourself, continue expanding and building your experience portfolio, but be aware of …
Why are we doing it this way?
?That question mark can mean many different things, so use it carefully. As you come across areas that may need some attention and care, start with a simple question, why are we doing it this way? Do your best not to attack or offend people, but rather focus on the solutions and better ways of achieving desired outcomes. Your new …
If you are the smartest person in the room, leave that room
Smarts and intelligence can be seen attributed to different aspects and behaviors, but we all generally agree and know when someone is smart and when they are not. If you have observed that you are frequently the smartest person in meetings and on projects (assuming a great degree of self-awareness here) the time may have come to consider finding a …
Be mindful of the present, but staff for the future
Build your teams thoughtfully. As opportunities open up to add new staff, carefully consider both your team’s and organizational needs then staff accordingly. Don’t simply replace “like for like”, but rather focus on both current needs as well as your future strategic direction you are planning to take. Each member of your team has a role to play and is …
Look ahead of the curve and focus on possibilities
Leading others is a great honor and responsibility, and as such, it should be approached with great care and attention. As a leader, one of your responsibilities is to get out of the weeds and focus on the vision and possibilities ahead. It is your responsibility to empower your team to believe in the vision and mission; to empower them …
Leadership teams must reflect the larger population they lead
Adequate representation within leadership and governance teams is essential. This not only means getting the best people you can get to join your leadership teams, but it also speaks about the importance of being mindful of appropriate gender and racial representation as well. Examples of misrepresentation are everywhere. I have recently come across a governance body representing a very large …