“Problems in the workplace are often created not by what we do, but by what we fail to do.” -Aubrey C. Daniels – Bringing Out the Best in People “All problems become smaller if you don’t dodge them, but confront them.” – William F. Halsey And one from me: Failure to confront a negative behavior is a subtle acceptance of it, an encouragement for it to continue in the … [Read more...]
The Compassion Paradox
Effective leaders are comfortable with paradox. They can call on skills and work in ways that seem to be contradictory. Dictionary.com defines paradox as “a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.” As I study the field, I find many paradoxes associated with leadership. I see that developing the skills of a great leader requires us to work in apparently … [Read more...]
5 Communication Red Flags
People desperately want to feel connected, especially now when so many are working remotely. Helping employees feel like they’re an integral part of a caring, trusted team is not just a nice thing for companies to do; it’s more like a survival strategy. The highest levels of performance require that people care about and understand each other and feel cared about and understood … [Read more...]
Using Apology to De-escalate a Conflict
Apology is a powerful — and often underused — conflict resolution tool. One reason for not apologizing that I often hear in my work with clients is the concern that apologizing either totally admits fault for the conflict or reveals a weakness. While those concerns may be legitimate in some situations, they are overblown in most cases. Conflicts usually escalate because … [Read more...]
The Best Way to Share Bad News With Employees
No doubt, bad news has been the norm lately, and you may have already had to be be the bearer of it more than once. As a leader, especially a new leader, the last thing you want to do is deliver bad news to your employees, who may assume that you are somehow responsible for it. Unfortunately, you will have to make unpopular decisions, enforce changes that are initially seen as … [Read more...]
Avoid These Four Online Meeting Mistakes
Most of us are holding more remote meetings now, and if you haven't noticed, they are inherently different from in-person meetings," says Howard Tiersky, coauthor along with Heidi Wisbach of Impactful Online Meetings: How to Run Polished Virtual Working Sessions That Are Engaging and Effective. "If you're not used to running them, you're going to make tons of mistakes. And … [Read more...]
Schedule “Gratitude” on Your Calendar This Week
"Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you." – Eileen Caddy In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, and it is appropriate, perhaps even expected, to find reasons to be grateful. Of course, the reality is that we should find reasons to feel grateful every single day, and … [Read more...]
A Simple Leadership Message on Election Day
If you live in the United States, you likely know it is Election Day. Direct mail, yard signs, neighborhood canvassers, radio and television ads and more – all add up to an important day in the life of a democracy. This post isn’t about politics, and while I have often written about what we can learn from politicians as leaders, the lesson today is different. The lesson … [Read more...]
Mitigate Stress to Show Employees’ Appreciation
Saying "thank you" is more important than ever, says Deb Boelkes, author of Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring. “[Employees] may be working long hours. They may worry that their health is at risk. Maybe they’re coping with a home life that’s been disrupted in some way. In other words, stress is at an all-time high. You may not be able to … [Read more...]
3 of the Smartest Words You’ll Ever Say
In her new book Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring, Deb Boelkes lays out the path to leading with the heart. Full of real stories and lessons from top heartfelt executives, the book will help you learn to transform from a person people follow because they have to, to one they want to follow. One lesson that really stood out to us comes from … [Read more...]