Blog
Sacrifice for the Team
Mythologist Michael Meade wrote, “All meaningful change requires a genuine surrender. Yet, to surrender does not simply mean to give up; more to give up one’s usual self and allow something other to enter and redeem the lesser sense of self.” Your employees do this...
This is Why It Takes Patience to Implement Your Brilliant Idea
Difficult and uncertain situations often highlight weaknesses and failures in our habits, systems and practices. Energized by any “Eureka” moment, you might emerge from difficult situations as an evangelist for a new ideas or ways of doing and being. As you begin to...
Build a Team of Self-Motivated Self-Starters with This Subtle Mindset Shift
Are you frustrated because you don't think your team takes responsibility or is as accountable as they could be? Do you feel like you have to hold people's hands too much? Do you believe all or some team members lack self-motivation? You might be feeding into this...
5 Ways to Back Off and Boost Team Results
Most likely, you were promoted to your first leadership position because you were good at performing the task work related to your job in your chosen field. It’s likely that once you landed a formal leadership position, you continued operating by using your expertise...
This is What’s Keeping You From Building a High-Performing Team
It's invisible, silent -- you'll never know it's there. But it most likely occurs on your team and will keep it from doing its best work. It is the fear of speaking up about ideas, concerns, questions, and mistakes. Twenty years of research at Harvard by Amy Edmondson...
Speak Up to Disagree with Someone More Senior
Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to state your disagreement or take a stand with someone who's in a high position than yours, like your boss, board chair, or someone else in leadership? It's tough because you want to respect the person and/or the...
How Uncertainty and Conflict Lead to Innovation and Creativity
Did you know that teams rated as the “best” make more mistakes (not fewer) than others? How come? Because the better teams that make more mistakes DISCUSS them. When they do this, they can work together to reduce them. In short, these "better" teams operate in an...
Stop Distractions By Going Back to Your Purpose
With all the distractions in today’s world, it’s easy for your focus to blur and boundaries around your time to erode. Devices, apps, and social media comprise the main technological distractions, with open offices and co-workers creating distractions as well. All...
Forge a Common Purpose to Unite Factions
Pursuing real change in any system is a challenge. One of the main reasons for the challenge of change is the reality of factions within any group. Because each faction has its different perspectives and different and multiple purposes around any issue or challenge,...
What Story Do Others Tell About You?
Exerting more positive influence with others can take a lot of listening, especially with individuals and groups who appear to be at odds with you. You know your good intentions and probably see yourself in the best possible light. However, the story you tell yourself...