Everyone Leads
Everyone leads. Everyone sells. Everyone connects. These are three inevitable and undeniable truths, but we try to dodge them. People deny that they lead in their everyday lives. People refuse to call...
View ArticleAre You a Safe Harbor in the Storm?
As a leader, we owe it to the people around us to maintain a calm in the storm. That is not always easy to do.But think about it. Imagine yourself being tossed about at sea. The storm clouds are...
View ArticleWhen You’re “Beside Yourself”
I’ve been in a slump. I’ve been acting out of character. I’ve been allowing exhaustion and stress to get the better of me. Even though I knew this was happening, until I stopped to reflect and dissect...
View ArticleIf you’re Thankful, Show your Appreciation
In the spirit of the season, this is a blog for leaders about being thankful. More to the point, it is a blog about showing appreciation when you are thankful.Cicero said “gratitude is not only the...
View ArticleLeaders: Natural-Born or Self-Made?
Leaders are born, not made. It’s a dangerous myth that derails leaders even before they have an opportunity to see themselves as the leaders they are already and the leaders they could be. When people...
View Article5 Ways Leaders Misunderstand Their Own Role
You are a leader. You may or may not be a manager, but you are already a leader. Think about it this way. Whether you realize it or not… whether you intend for this to happen or not… people notice what...
View Article5 Mistakes Leaders Make When It Comes to People Development
There comes a time in everyone’s career when they feel they have “arrived.” It’s the attainment of a particular job, the fulfillment of a dream or the time when everything is clicking into place. For...
View ArticleFive Ways Leaders Get in Their Own Way
Maybe you’ve seen this happen. Maybe it’s happened to you. A rising star flames out and can’t seem to make a comeback. He or she doesn’t understand what’s gone wrong and feels helpless to course...
View ArticleThe Worst Mistake You Can Make as a Leader Is…
Throughout the month, the CONNECT2Lead Blog has focused on mistakes leaders make. You can find articles from the series here. In this post, we’re going to narrow it down to the single worst mistake a...
View Article5 Ways Leaders Can Open Up and Engage Employees
I know a well-intentioned leader who doesn’t have dedicated followers. He has the executive title. He has the education, experience, intelligence and strategic abilities to do the job. But he doesn’t...
View Article5 Differences between Leaders and Parents
I know a leader who mothers and smothers the people she works with. She thinks she’s helping them, but she’s not. In actuality, she’s compromising their effectiveness. She’s popular with some employees...
View Article3 Reasons People Don’t Speak Up
Communication is a two-way street. Leaders: That means you don’t get to do all the talking. If leaders were listening and asking for input more often, all kinds of problems could be avoided. People on...
View ArticleBoost Your Personal Effectiveness – Part 1
I’m not talking in this post about intelligence, imagination, experience, past achievement, hard work, wealth, popularity or good luck. Those are all nice to have. But none of them – not even all of...
View ArticleHow to Have a Candid Conversation to Defuse that Ticking Time Bomb
Have you been dodging an important conversation? The kind of conversation that may be uncomfortable, in a situation that you wish would just take care of itself? Are you dancing around a subject, being...
View ArticleBeing Effective When You Can’t be Face-to-Face
Worldwide, there are now more than one billion people who primarily work remotely. They work on the road, in home offices, and in satellite offices. In your own workplace, even in a 9-to-5 setting,...
View ArticleTalk Is Cheap – Don’t Use Throwaway Thanks
When you say “thank you” or other words typically used to express appreciation, be sure your behaviors back up what you’ve verbalized. Insincere or automatic responses are no better than manipulative...
View ArticleAre You a Safe Harbor in the Storm?
As a leader, we owe it to the people around us to maintain a calm in the storm. That is not always easy to do. But think about it. Imagine yourself being tossed about at sea. The storm clouds are...
View ArticleLeadership Is Not a Solo Act
Being a leader is something you can never do alone. By its very nature, leadership requires others who would do the following. Leaders have followers. Better yet, leaders have people around them who...
View ArticleHow Looking Out for #1 May Be Holding You Back
In a society that celebrates individual achievement and signals that you “have to look out for #1,” it isn’t always easy to stay tuned in to the needs of others. In the workplace, high achievers often...
View ArticleA Lesson in Leadership from The Kansas City Royals, World Champions
Leading isn’t the same as managing. When a team is well-managed, they perform well. They use metrics and performance standards to produce what’s expected. When a team has great leadership, they do...
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