Why self-awareness is the starting point for becoming the leader your next chapter requires. Early in my coaching career, I experienced a moment that has stayed with me for years. I was working with a team whose members represented a wide range of roles, ages, and professional experience. Our work focused on helping them understand […]
You Can’t Lead Beyond What You Know About Yourself Read More »
The Other Side of Growth We talk about growth as though it’s something we simply add to our lives. More clients. More revenue. More responsibility. More influence. More opportunities. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting those things. But there’s another side of growth that doesn’t get nearly as much attention. Growth requires something from us.
Growth Requires Something From You Read More »
Are You Waiting for Permission? “That’s not really my decision.” “Someone above me needs to address that.” “I don’t have the authority to change it.” These are familiar statements in organizations of every size. And sometimes they’re entirely appropriate. There are decisions that require specific authority, approval, or accountability. Recognizing those boundaries is part of
You Don’t Need More Authority to Start Leading Read More »
When Being Good at the Work Isn’t Enough Early in my career, I was promoted into a supervisory role. I knew the work. I understood claims. I could solve problems, make decisions, and get results. Those were the very things that helped me earn the promotion. There was just one problem. I didn’t know much
The Work Changes When You Do Read More »
For the past several months, I’ve been thinking and writing a lot about capacity. About delegation. About trust. About stepping out of the role of rescuer. About developing people instead of continually doing things for them. And about recognizing that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should continue to be the person
You Made Room. Now What? Read More »
My dad traveled quite a bit for work. Before a trip, he’d lay everything he thought he needed across the bed. Clothes. Shoes. Toiletries. Everything he might possibly need while he was away. Then, once he was convinced he’d thought of everything, he’d do something that always amused me. He’d put half of it back.
What Are You Carrying Into the Next Season? Read More »
Have you ever noticed how quickly people learn what matters to their leader? Not necessarily from what the leader says. From what they ask about. What they recognize. What gets celebrated. What gets corrected. And what consistently gets their attention. Imagine a leader who tells the team that client relationships are the organization’s number one
What You Pay Attention To Grows Read More »
We’ve all been in the meeting. Everyone gives an update. “We’re working on it.” “We’re waiting to hear back.” “We should know something next week.” Forty-five minutes later, everyone leaves knowing approximately the same things they knew when they arrived. Nothing terrible happened. But did anything actually move? That’s an important distinction. Because it’s easy
Your Meetings Should Move Work Forward Read More »
“Why do I have to keep following up?” It’s one of the most common frustrations I hear from leaders. They’ve delegated something. Discussed it in a meeting. Asked someone to take care of it. Then days or weeks later, they’re chasing an update. Again. It’s easy to look at that pattern and conclude: They need
Your Team May Not Have an Accountability Problem Read More »
There comes a point in the growth of almost every business when the thing that helped create success can start getting in the way of what’s next. Sometimes, that thing is the leader’s own expertise. You’ve spent years learning your business. You know your clients. You remember why certain decisions were made. You know the
Your Business Can’t Scale Only What You Know Read More »