Last week we talked about the importance of articulating your vision to those you lead by painting a vivid picture of the future. Just as important: sharing your own excitement and passion for that vision. It should go without saying that in order for leaders to inspire others with their vision for the future, they …
My wife is an extremely gifted interior designer, and she loves what she does. She regularly envisions gorgeous kitchen renovations, stunning bathroom makeovers, and incredible contemporary updates for homes and businesses. But in order to bring those visions to reality, she must first get her clients to see what she sees. Without first painting a …
As former University of Notre Dame president Theodore Hesburgh once said, “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” Simply put, leaders must have an idea of what future they are leading toward if they are to have any hope of getting anyone to follow! …
A few weeks ago I wrote about one of my colleagues and a unique experience she had when a group of her peers spent a few very intentional minutes sincerely praising and recognizing her for the wonderful person she is. This is a beautiful example of the value of appreciation and recognition. In chapter 11 …
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 …