Blog
How to Lead from Any Stance in Kantor’s 4 Player Model
Changing expectations open up opportunities to lead for almost anyone to use their natural attributes, skills, and strengths effectively to engage others for the good of the team. This is where Kantor’s 4-Player Model comes in. When you lead from any stance in Kantor’s 4-Player Model, you demonstrate that variety of leadership possibilities to others on your team, regardless of an individual’s natural tendencies.
Enhancing Team Communication with Kantor’s 4 Player Model
In today’s complex and fast-paced work environments, effective communication with teams is paramount for success. When your team understands the communication dynamics occurring during team meetings and even in ad hoc conversations, psychological safety can...
Building Psychological Safety Starts with You
You’ll rarely have the perfect mix of people on your team. But keep in mind that the very best teams are based on how they interact with each other and with stakeholders. So keep recruiting the best people you can for your team, and if you really want to build a...
How Well Do You Handle Power? Leadership of Entitlement Vs. Responsibility
What’s more important to you — the status you get from being in a leadership position or the responsibility to serve others? The quality of your leadership is shaped by whether you emphasize the status and privilege that you get from being in a leadership position...
Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: The Influence of the Feminine in the Workplace
In today’s business world, your ability to access your empathy and emotional intelligence is a must. Increasingly, the modern workplace has changed, morphing from a bastion of masculine qualities and values to giving greater value to these and other feminine...
Using Non-Violent Communication: 5 Clues You’re Not Taking Responsibility in Interactions
(Updated from a May 2017 post “5 Signs You Shirk Responsibility When Communicating”) Communicating effectively is probably the most common area where managers, team leaders, and executives can grow. In fact, surveys indicate the following: Teams who communicate...
As a Supervisor, Are You Leading or Bullying?
(This is an updated version of a post I did in October 2012.) “I feel like you’re intimidating and bullying me.” These are the words of a female employee during a meeting with her male supervisor, who intended to set expectations with her. Taken aback, the supervisor...
Why You Need to Do More Systems Thinking with Your Team
For over 400 years, western civilization has increased its use of analytical thinking and the scientific method to explain almost everything in the natural world. By using analysis (separating a whole into its component parts), our society has greatly expanded the...
How Double-Loop Learning Will Increase Your Team’s Agility and Effectiveness
The Learning Cycle is a simple framework used by teams to improve products and processes. It’s a cycle that includes Planning, Doing, Reviewing, and Learning from the results of projects and tasks. This basic learning cycle is useful for reviewing events and spotting...
How Well Does Your Team Know Its Stakeholders?
High-performing teams take seriously how well they create value for their stakeholders. The best teams know what their stakeholders need and expect from them. Here are some things to keep in mind as you focus on understanding your critical stakeholders, both inside...