Renee worked hard and loved to be the one who had all the answers. She prided herself on her subject matter expertise and it made her feel important that she had the information that others needed. As Renee discussed her career goals with her manager, he mentioned a new project he wanted to her to lead. He asked her if she had documented all the processes and procedures in her area so that there would be a good handoff should…
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I can tell you that I definitely suffered from meeting overload when I was in corporate. I have shared with you that there were often three meetings happening at the same that I was expected to attend. I had to determine which meeting I would attend and send some of my team to the other meetings or get the notes later. Not an ideal scenario for anyone to deal with as a leader. Meetings seem to be a way of life that is…
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As you progress to higher levels in an organization, you will inevitably not only be the leader of a team, but you will begin to lead other leaders. While this may seem similar in scope, leading other leaders requires a different mindset to be effective. These high potential leaders may already have strong skills, experience, and the respect of their teams. They are looking to be further developed and stretched even more. How will you set these leaders up for success? You will need to…
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I like to believe that most leaders are good and do the best that they can for their teams. However, what do you do if you have a manager who is not a good leader and doesn’t even try to improve or support you? We could dive into understanding why they are this way, but I would rather have you consider how this type of situation impacts you and figure out what you want to do. Can you continue to…
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I like to do leadership assessments for clients to help them learn more about who they are as leaders and how they are perceived. It also helps me get to know them better as their coach. Without fail, there is always an “aha” moment that occurs as we go through the results. How they see themselves is contradicted by the way that others see them, but they had no idea. Some people hesitate to do assessments because they have some fear…
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Let me share a story that I recently heard. Gloria was in the grocery store line and had six cans of beans in her cart. She put her six cans on the conveyor belt. Suddenly, the cashier stopped her. He said, there is a limit on the beans. You can only buy four cans of beans, so you have to put two of them back. The woman didn’t know that there was a limit of only four cans per person in…
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By definition, influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. When I read this definition, there are so many people that would fit into this definition and be considered an influencer. Some examples could be family, friends, teachers, managers, mentors, peers, and coaches to name a few. They share their lessons, ideas, and beliefs with us every day and influence us. We are not only influenced by the people in…
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What does an employee need to be engaged? Do they need an inspiring manager? A senior leadership team that sets the example of engagement? An organizational culture that supports engagement? Having these things in place will definitely help, but employees also need their own internal motivation and drive to be engaged. Having your own drive and determination is necessary especially when you have a manager who isn’t motivating you in the best way. Jeff was an engineer who had worked for…
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How do you know if someone is engaged? What makes someone on a team more engaged than anyone else? An engaged team member is passionate about their job, they will do what it takes to get things done and they are committed to the organization. They are motivated from within and have a growth mindset. They love to learn new things and know that they will figure out what they don’t know. What if you have someone who isn’t engaged though? They may come to…
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Leaders get frustrated when their teams don’t do what is expected. What caused the team to have a disconnect between what was expected and what happened in reality? Most of the time there is an issue with the leader holding them accountable. The leader doesn’t want to tell the team what to do. Instead they will make suggestions or try to hint around at what should be done instead of coming out and saying what they want. When the team doesn’t seem…
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