The Power of Asking
Recently I was sharing some data with a group of leaders on the impact of asking for feedback. The data showed an exceptionally strong correlation between asking for feedback and the overall effectiveness of a leader. One of the leaders commented, “I must be a great leader then because I seem to get boat load … Continue reading
The Perfect Solution
Have you ever received a gift that you both needed and valued? I remember receiving a wheelbarrow for father’s day some years ago. I needed a wheelbarrow but it seemed like the implied message of this tool was; “Now you have no excuse for not doing the yard work.” This gift was needed but not valued. My wife always wanted a back massage and I could never satisfy the need, so I bought her a massage chair. This gift was both needed and valued and years after I gave the gift I still get thanked.
Lin-Sanity: A Strengths-based Approach to Basketball
Many of you have heard about Jeremy Lin, the new, young superstar on the New York Knicks. His rapid rise to stardom has been noticed even outside the world of basketball, due to the inspirational human aspects of his story. In honor of New York’s most recent megastar, what’s now being called “Lin-Sanity” is seen … Continue reading
Quit it! Why Leaders Should Stop Answering Questions
The following post is a portion of Jack Zenger’s Forbes.com column. A subordinate drops by your office. She asks, “What do you think we should do about getting the technical manual written for our new product? Should we outsource it or try to find someone inside to do it?” In my opinion, the above interaction … Continue reading
Keeping Your Strengths from Becoming Weaknesses
Recently I was coaching Richard, an exceptional leader. He had a huge desire to build a great educational product. While most people would be satisfied with the product as it was, he was constantly searching for the latest, greatest research and approach which left him continuously redesigning the product. All these changes generated a huge … Continue reading
The 16 Days of Competencies: #2 Technical and Professional Expertise
As featured in the article “Making Yourself Indispensable” published in the October 2011 issue of Harvard Business Review. Yesterday, Harvard Business Review published an article titled, Making Yourself Indispensible, by Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman—co-authors of The Inspiring Leader and principals of the leadership development company, Zenger Folkman. After years of extensive research, we at … Continue reading
Are YOU an Inspiring Leader?
I just returned from a visit to the Pacific Northwest. Our destination was Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. I have a sister there who lives on a lovely boat and we had a “sister’s retreat” with a third sister and niece joining us. This was a very beautiful and inspiring time and place. … Continue reading
Leadership- It’s Everybody’s Issue
In the last few months I have spent time in San Jose, Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis, England, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, Doha Qatar, Amsterdam Netherlands, Orlando, New Haven, Chicago and Mexico City. I have also had conversations with people from India, China, Denmark, Switzerland, Washington D.C., Singapore, South Africa, Egypt, Florida and Japan. I have … Continue reading
Employee Commitment
Dwight Schrute The Office Many of you, like I, have laughed through episodes of the television show “The Office.” The following is a quote from Dwight Schrute, one of the main characters, on his commitment to the organization. “Would I ever leave this company? Look, I’m all about loyalty. In fact, I feel like part … Continue reading
Stories vs. Data: Which One is More Effective?
One important job we have as leaders is to persuade others to take action. That’s not always an easy task, since those actions can often be difficult, challenging, and uncomfortable. I recall being a newly commissioned, 22-year old lieutenant in my initial Army troop assignment. It was my job to lead soldiers who, in some … Continue reading
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