JUJITSU The Head of major Government Agency complained that his second in command was wearing on his nerves because of the constant second guessing and challenging of his decisions. I recommended that the Head should identify a unique, clearly defined, and trackable area of responsibility and assign it to his second in command. If the responsibilities were effectively …
3 Lessons on Dominant Leadership From 3 Case Studies Read More »
An interaction during one of our live CBC coaching sessions raised an issue that I have been asked to address over the years. It reminded me of travelling overseas to help a small business improve its performance. I was shocked when a team member wondered why I was asked to come to work with them …
You can feel it in the air. This organization is about results. Everyone is business-like and there is a focus on targets and deadlines. Accountability is high on the agenda and performing well in the context of KPIs is a prerequisite for career advancement. Such organizations assume that their success is best secured by adopting …
Could you commit murder? In the movie “The Push”, Psychological Illusionist Derren Brown uses social pressure to convince ordinary, decent, real-life individuals to become increasingly socially compliant until they commit murder. Have many of us have lost our objectivity because of social pressure? Can socialization and corporate culture strip us of our capacity to think …
Today’s leaders face unique challenges some of which threaten the very existence of their organizations. The follower group is increasingly diverse demographically impacting their demands and needs. Leaders strive to bring new approaches to the process. Followers struggle to stay engaged. Think of a bus ride as we examine some of the issues. Destination versus …
“A new leader has taken over. How do I get on their right side? “Getting off on the wrong footing can be hard to correct! How do I avoid that?” “Leaders like to identify their go-to people early. How can avoid being left out of the loop?” KNOW YOUR BOSS Read on if you want …
Leadership is being severely challenged. The make-up of the workforce has changed dramatically. The majority of the workforce is not engaged. However, the focus of my attention today is the failure to retain talented employees. It is said “people leave their managers not their jobs”. They just can’t take it anymore. This has huge implications …
Before we dive in, I am concerned about casting individuals as being “difficult”. Once we label someone as being “difficult”, it tends to colour our interaction with them. A better approach is to think in terms of “challenging behaviours”. When we focus attention on the behaviour we focus our discomfort on specifics. We identify issues …
Think back to school. What if you had to turn up without one homework. Would that be the homework of the loveable teacher that will express disappointment and ask you to bring it next class? Or would it be the feared teacher whose punishment will make you wish you had done the homework? Your choice? Another …