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 »
The Leadership Shift from Specialist to Generalist My dad wrote three books before he passed away. They’re filled with family stories, observations about life and work, wisdom gathered over decades, and plenty of pearls I’ve found myself returning to as I’ve gotten older. There’s something rather wonderful about reading his words now. Sometimes I agree
The Expertise That Got You Here Won’t Lead You There Read More »
There’s a moment in coaching that I know well. Someone is working through a problem. As they’re talking, I can see a possible answer. Sometimes I can see three. And everything in me wants to help. “Have you thought about…?” “What if you tried…?” “Here’s what I’ve seen work…” All perfectly reasonable responses. And sometimes
From Knowing to Wondering: The Leadership Discipline of Curiosity Read More »
Why Great Leaders See Potential Before Others Do Think back over your career for a moment. Who changed the direction of your life? It probably wasn’t the person with the most impressive title. It wasn’t necessarily the smartest person in the room. It was the person who saw something in you before you saw it
The Leadership Gift People Never Forget Read More »
The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t know enough. They struggle because they believe they’re supposed to. Many of us earned our leadership roles because we were the person with the answers. We solved problems. We knew the details. We were dependable. When something went wrong, people came to
You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers Read More »
Leadership leaves fingerprints long after the meeting ends. Several years ago, I found myself thinking about someone who had encouraged me early in my career. I honestly don’t remember the entire conversation. I don’t remember what we were discussing. But I remember exactly how I felt when I walked away. More confident. More capable. More
The Return on Investment You May Never See Read More »
The greatest investment you’ll ever make is the one that helps someone else grow. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about creating capacity, protecting it, and investing in your own growth. Those are important conversations. But lately, I’ve found myself thinking about a different question. What’s the purpose of all that growth? If I
Growth Was Never Meant to Stop With You Read More »
A full calendar may explain your present. It also predicts your future. Last week, I wrote about creating capacity. It struck a chord because so many leaders feel like they’re running at full speed with very little margin. They know they need more space, but they aren’t always sure what that space is for. That
Your Calendar is Quietly Creating Your Future Read More »