Every now and then I’ll see a headline or hear someone (a favorite talking point during election cycles) using the term ‘single working mom’ with the unmistakable tone that every single working mom is struggling to make ends meet. The
Shining the Light on Unconscious Bias
Don’t judge a book by its cover. We’ve all heard it. We’ve all done it. We make first impressions of other people based on what we see. First impressions last and first impressions are usually made within the first few
How to Recognize and Respond to Your Manager’s Motivation Needs
Understanding motivation is a critical trait of good managers. Most leadership training focuses on the manager of the team recognizing and responding to employee’s motivational needs. That’s good, in fact creating an environment that is motivating is critical for developing
3 Common Mistakes Managers Make (even experienced ones)
At a recent management skills workshop, one participant who has been a manager for over 20 years was so relieved that he was finally getting some leadership training. He made a point of letting me know how grateful he was
The Case of the Black Friday Surprise
Every organization has an event that occurs every year, if not more frequently, that is out of the normal scope of daily business. Yet somehow managers are taken by surprise, even though it happens every year at the same time.
Leadership Qualities (Part One)
Can leadership qualities be developed? If not, most people would be excluded from leadership roles. I recently pulled an old John Maxwell book, ‘Becoming a Person of Influence’, off my bookshelf and as I was flipping through it I was
What Leaders Can Learn From Captain Sully
Last week, my blog post described preactive leadership. This week, read about someone who practiced preactive leadership… airline pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger, aka Captain Sully, and what you can learn from him. You may recall the event that made Captain
Preactive Leadership: The New Way to Lead
Preactive leadership goes beyond seeing a need and acting upon it. Proactive leaders see a need that is already there and act on it, which is good but preactive leaders take it a step further. Practicing preactive leadership means anticipating
How To Get Employees To Do Their Job
How to get employees to do their job? That’s the biggest question I get when training managers. One new manager told me about a difficult situation he was facing. He was dealing with a challenge common to many managers –
Managing High Performers Who Make Their Own Rules
Managing high performers who discard company policies in favor of their own rules can be challenging. A manager at a recent leadership training shared an issue she was having with one and asked for my advice on managing high performers who