When writing my latest book, Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, I knew I wanted to include a section about raising up other leaders. Initially I titled that section “Implement a Leader-Development Strategy.” But as I thought about and worked on that particular chapter and really dug into the research, I realized that implementing …
When investing in those you lead, don’t just offer general job training and educational programs to your people as a whole; go beyond group solutions to really focus on specific needs, customizing growth opportunities according to individual roles, interests, and strengths. Strive to recognize potential in those you lead and push them to achieve it …
Leadership coach Peter Baeklund once heard this exchange between an organization’s CFO and CEO: CFO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?” CEO: “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?” While the CFO was understandably concerned with the organization’s expenditures and bottom line, the CEO wisely understood …
One of my team members left this week with her family to begin formal training to become foreign missionaries. They will be moving to another country in just a few months time. This young woman, Emily Sirkel, has worked with me for the past five and a half years, and it has been a privilege and an honor to have her …
Last week we talked about building connections and cultivating authentic relationships. This week I want to share 5 ways in which leaders can promote connection throughout their organization—fostering a healthy, connected workplace culture: Be proactive when hiring. When interviewing potential new team members, make sure to focus on culture-fit as much as or even more …
The most inspirational leaders excel in building connections. By “building connections” I don’t mean merely corporate networking and exchanging business cards. While every leader typically engages in that kind of networking to some degree, inspirational leaders go beyond networking to build genuine relationships with those they lead and influence. I briefly touched on the importance …
Decades have passed since I first became a leader. Over the years, many things have changed. From years before fax machines and pagers, to present-day computers and smart phones, technology is advancing quickly, and our world is being transformed. Technology isn’t the only thing changing; but no matter the changes, they demand flexibility. Countless examples …
My friend Dr. Keith Lepak, a board certified emergency room physician, explained how in the medical field the most urgent and stressful events doctors and nurses must respond to are the hospital emergency codes, such as “Code Blue,” which generally indicates respiratory or cardiac arrest. Keith said, “There’s an old saying: ‘during a code check …
We are all leaders in some area of our lives, and every leader everywhere deals with conflict. A critical component of responsive and effective leadership is to actively prevent and resolve conflict. One key way you as a leader can prevent conflict should be obvious: do your part to not cause it! First, recognize the significance …
Every day we are faced with new challenges, questions, problems, and needs. And attached to nearly every one of those issues are people who are waiting on a response. Each of us—and particularly those in leadership roles—must daily prioritize, delegate, and problem solve,, all while balancing the expectations and desires of the people whom those …
Whether it’s due to physical distractions caused by people, technology, or environment, or due to a mind full of priorities and concerns, many people—and leaders in particular—struggle with being fully present and focused on individual conversations and tasks.
...It is an extremely simple concept, but also an extremely important strategy for achieving greater success: Treat everyone with respect. This is particularly essential for effective and inspirational leadership. Great leaders strive to be approachable by anyone, regardless of status or title. One key aspect of that is demonstrating respect toward everyone. A great first …
While nice in theory, official “open door” policies are often ineffective in practice—for a host of reasons. In an article for Inc. magazine, entrepreneur Logan Chierotti said of the open door policy, “In the eyes of your employees, it’s one of those throwaway buzzwords that management uses all the time, but never means.” While I’m …
Your attitude—how you approach every situation—is always a choice. To achieve greater success, choose an attitude of teachability. Our attitudes and expectations have an incredible impact on our actual experiences. If you start out with a sour attitude about something, or go in expecting something to be boring or irrelevant, nine times out of ten …
No matter your position, and no matter how much experience and expertise you now possess, the fact is at some point you were a beginner. At some point you had to be taught. That’s true for all of us! But the more experienced and successful we become, the more difficult it is to remain teachable. …
Last week we discussed the importance of being authentic and avoiding the trap of accidental inauthenticity caused by mimicking others instead of developing and leveraging your own unique strengths. Of course, in order to act and speak authentically, you must first develop a clear picture of who you are and what your strengths are. So …
In striving to achieve greater success or to become a better leader, employee, parent, spouse, etc., we often leverage a number of resources. We might read books and articles, seek trusted advice from mentors, or attempt to imitate highly successful people whom we admire. These are all great strategies, but in our pursuit of greater …
It’s a simple concept, but following through on promises made—big or little—is a challenge for a lot of people, including me! I may be able to point to my white hair and use my age as an excuse for forgotten commitments, but no matter the reason, not following through on something you said you’d do …
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between an excuse and an explanation? The line between the two can be blurred and nearly indistinguishable. Because the real difference comes down to motive: An excuse is a defensive reaction made in an attempt to deny some or all responsibility. An explanation is information intended to …
Every single person on the planet has strengths and weaknesses. It may seem logical that if you want to improve yourself, your leadership, etc., you ought to identify your weaknesses and then commit to focusing on improving in those specific areas. However, I disagree. As I wrote in Be An Inspirational Leader: “The general …