Tag: Leadership

How To Determine if You Are Ready for a Leadership Position?

I have worked with some excellent managers. People who were good at what they did and had great leadership potential. Sadly though, these managers didn’t invest in their own growth. They were so busy attending to the daily demands of the management job — putting out fires, resolving prod...

“Leadership is Language”

The words we use matter. You may not think much of using terms like “resources” rather than “people” or “I” vs “we” but at a subconscious level these words start to infiltrate our minds. For both the person using them and those hearing it. Perhap...

Opinion: To Infinity and Beyond: Government or Private Sector Leadership in Space Exploration?

By Kriya Shah, Global High School Fellow (North Penn High School ‘24 — North Wales, Pennsylvania) In the era of globalization that we live in today, with global connections come global competition, and just like the Space Race of the Cold War era, we have seen aggressive eff...

24 Leadership Principles From The Greatest Business, Military, Political, and Sports Leaders

People think that leadership is something that just happens. One is anointed a leader. One is promoted to leadership. One is born into leadership. And of course, this is not the case. “Leadership,” Eisenhower said, “is the art of getting someone else to do something that you wan...

Unlocking the Potential of Leadership

Sometimes I often ask myself where does one find top-notch managers? While I have engaged in interviewing and a limited degree of recruitment for associates and specialists, and given my input on promotions, I have not had the opportunity to search for other leaders. Despite this fact about mysel...

Why Your Mind Reading Skill Is A Treacherous Leadership Game

Picture this: you’re a freshly minted manager, raring to tackle your new leadership role. The world is your oyster, and you’re eager to revolutionize your team’s dynamics using your secret weapon — mind reading. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out, qu...

Leadership Lessons I Learned From My First Boss

Have you ever had an encounter with someone that absolutely changed your life? Whether for better or worse, that person impacted how you see things and your choices. For me, one of those people was Blair Rigby, owner of Showcase Interiors, and my first real boss. As you can imagine, I learn...

Leadership competencies should act in unison

The ability of the leader to connect emotionally with employees and drive performance does not just stem from the leader’s mood or ability to say the right thing, but also from a number of coordinated activities that comprise particular leadership styles. Daniel Goleman (Primal Leadership) not...

Is Good Leadership Contagious?

There’s something called ‘social contagion theory,’ which essentially posits that behaviors or attitudes can spread through a network in the same way that diseases do. For example, if you have happy friends, you’re 25 percent more likely to be happy. If yo...

The ONE Leadership Characteristic That Will Bring You the Most Success

There are countless articles, workshops, books, videos, and training sessions highlighting all the leadership qualities needed to be effective. Yes, to be a truly well-rounded leader takes a lot of energy, focus, mindfulness and self-reflection. Leadership is a never-ending journey of learning and a...

How to Change Your Organization’s Culture for Strong Leadership

Learn what organisational culture is, why it matters and how you can influence it as a leader to create a positive and productive work environment. Here is a true story of a software engineer named Raj (pseudo name to keep privacy!) who worked at a startup company. This company was know...

Redefining Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership is the ability to develop a vision and inspire others to achieve it. In many corporate cultures across the globe, this definition of leadership is often accepted as the gospel truth. Leaders are expected to have all the answers. They must develop a strategic vision and...

The Leadership Dilemma

When someone tells me they have a bad boss and I ask why 8 times out of 10 the answer is “They micromanage me”. No employee, not one I’ve met at least ever spoke the words “I wish my boss would look over my shoulder and tell me each step in the process even thoug...

Leadership Is Messy: Five Ways to Address the Mess

The training profession excels at order. After all, its function is to provide clear principles and tools for people to learn the skills they need to succeed in their jobs. Trainers explain best practices, list the steps to achieve them and lead practice exercises. This approach has succeeded since ...

Purpose-Filled Leadership

There is an ongoing cry for better leaders, not only in the workplace but in the world. It’s a cry that has echoed, sometimes to deaf ears, across the ages. It’s a critical message to heed, particularly in eras of chaos. Effective leadership must become the norm, not the exception, in or...

What kind of personality test should you use for leadership development?

So this article in the NY Times created quite a stir a few years ago on a professional listserv that I’m a member of (The Society for Consulting Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association). The gist of the article is that the author felt unjustly categorized ...

How the Practice of Putting Pen to Paper Can Improve Your Product Leadership

My older brother recently passed away. It was very sudden and unexpected. As I ride the waves of grief over the past several days, I’ve started to think about all the memories and stories from growing up with someone who I consider a remarkable human. (Albeit growing up, I thought of him more ...

Say Goodbye to the “Sink or Swim” Leadership Approach

All too often, new leaders are put in a “sink or swim” situation, thrown into the deep end of leading a team, and left to figure out for themselves how to stay afloat. While this approach can test and build resilience, it is generally not considered an effective or responsible method ...

Leadership 101: The Sign of a True Leader

Leadership is an ever-evolving path, a journey that demands continuous growth and self-improvement. In this pursuit, the key to becoming a better leader lies in our willingness to uncover and address our “unknown-unknowns.” These are the blind spots and hidden weaknesses we may not even ...

Critical Pitfalls to Dodge on Your Path to Leadership

In the ever-evolving realm of leadership, the journey towards achieving a status is anything but straightforward. It’s a winding road fraught with challenges, yet the most exceptional leaders rise above these hurdles. They grasp the importance of sidestepping certain pitfalls that can impede t...

Leadership Lessons: Listening Beyond The Words

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a captivating sharing session led by a seasoned senior leader. While the atmosphere was filled with humor and a casual tone, there was something profound beneath the surface. Through attentive listening, I unearthed three invaluable messages that the leader...

Still Want to Achieve Big Things This Year? Great Leadership Begins with Self.

As we head into the final quarter of the calendar year it is a great opportunity to reflect. Enough time has passed this year so you can assess progress, and there is still enough time left to make a difference with the things that are important to you. Following a few sage questions from my coac...

Confronting Your Biggest Leadership Pains

As a leader, you are not immune to the challenges that plague most people. However, it is incumbent upon you to confront these challenges head-on and take action to safeguard your well-being and the success of your organization. Below are the five biggest leadership pains currently being felt by ...

Exploring Day 2 of the Visionary Leadership Intensive

In a world where leadership is constantly evolving and demanding innovation, the Visionary Leadership Intensive, held virtually from Thursday, September 7th to Saturday night in September 2023, offered a unique opportunity for individuals seeking to shape their abilities for visionary leadership, cu...

Where do you sit on the Leadership Impact spectrum? Are you Invaluable?

Did you know that less than 15% of the population are high-performing? And that high performers spend at least 65% of their work effort and time on the things that have high impact and are not urgent? ⮞ Are your leaders stressed and working long hours? ⮞ Are your leaders focused on the ur...

Unlocking Rare Habits for Leadership Success

Within leadership, the pursuit of true excellence is often a intimidating challenge. To guide your journey, we will delve deep into four pivotal principles that are relatively uncommon yet exceptionally vital for achieving leadership success. These principles, often overshadowed, off...

What Happens In A Psilocybin Leadership Workshop

Hello there, psychonauts of the corporate cosmos! Imagine this: you and your team, armed with curiosity and an appetite for self-development, stepping into a realm where leadership gets a psychedelic makeover. A psychedelic leadership workshop can be a mind-bending rollercoaster of, insights, ...

Assessing your Leadership Performance

Holding a leadership position is one thing, but being a leader is different. A leader has to be able to hold themselves to greater accountability, grasp everything within their scope, and analyze themselves as deeply as they do others. SElf-awareness is not always an easy attribute to come by...

10 leadership lessons from Lao-Tzu

Legend has it that Lao-Tzu was the a court archivist in the 6th Century BCE during the Zhou Dynasty in China. He was disgusted with the politics of the day and so decided to retreat to the wilderness to live is a hermit and sage. On his way out of the city, the guard asked Lao-Tzu to record his t...

Hug Your Imposter Syndrome: Your Ticket to Leadership Excellence

“The great thing about imposter syndrome is it will make you work your ar&e off” Jimmy Carr / Comedian You might not believe it, but that nagging voice whispering, “You’re a fraud,” is your secret weapon. Yep, embrace the feeling — imposter syndro...

Leadership and Governance

Leadership and Governance: Nurturing a Flourishing Society Leadership and governance are fundamental pillars that shape the destiny of nations and organizations. Effective leadership inspires, motivates, and guides individuals and groups toward common goals. Governance, on the other hand, ensures...

How Deep is a CEOs Leadership Talent Pipeline? From Top to Bottom?

Do you have enough of them in your organisation? For today? For tomorrow? What I am hearing from leaders of organisations, large and small, is that they simply do not have enough leadership talent. They no longer have the depth of capable and experienced leaders. From executive leaders, through m...

Understanding the Difference between Management and Leadership

If you want to enhance your leadership skills and significantly impact your team and organization, this article is designed specifically for you. Transitioning from a manager to a leader requires a mindset, approach, and skill set shift. Let’s explore the key attributes and strategies that ...

Influencing via Positive Leadership

There’s more to being a leader than merely giving commands. Leadership is about influencing people's attitudes and behaviors through positive choices. By exhibiting your respect for your team’s opinions, sentiments, and skills, they feel empowered and are more inclined to accept your...

My leadership philosophy — Part 6: Moderation

[This article is part of a series in which I’m sharing key lessons I’ve learned about what drives or derails effective leadership, distilled during my 17 year career assessing and coaching executives. Previous articles included an introduction to the series, a focus on cha...

Servant Leadership Isn’t Weak Leadership

The Heart of Servant Leadership: How Empathy and Compassion Elevate Leadership What separates great leaders from the rest? It’s not charisma, authority, or clever strategy. The essence of resonant leadership lies in a capacity for empathy and compassion. Servant leaders understand that l...

The Art of Servant Leadership: Leading by Serving

Introduction: A New Kind of Leadership In the dynamic landscape of contemporary organizations, a transformative leadership style is making its mark — servant leadership. This approach, which prioritizes the needs of the team over the individual, is driving success in companies worldwide and...

The Power of Authentic Communication in Leadership

There’s a golden rule that many successful leaders hold close: good communication is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Imagine a world where leaders listen more than speak, empathise with their team members, and ensure their words align with their actions. It’s a world where...

Annual Check-in for Leaders Part 3 — How Is the Leadership Team Doing?

When was the last time you paused to survey how things were going? We’ve crafted a three-part leadership-level survey to help reflect on your team, the company, yourself, and what you’d like to see more of. Give yourself a block of time to journal or work through these questions. Then, t...

The Power of Purpose in Leadership

In the vast realm of leadership, there’s a force that often goes unnoticed. Yet, it holds the potential to transform organizations from the inside out. This force is the concept of purpose-driven leadership. At its core, purpose-driven leadership is not just about achieving short-term goals...

Do you want to develop your Leadership talent? What is inaction costing CEOs?

Learning is something that is very important to me, one of my core values, and so I probably do more than my fair share of professional and personal development programs. What I find the biggest challenge is not the program, which is typically excellent, it is the follow-up. The implementation when ...

My leadership philosophy — Part 5: Situational and contextual leadership

The Time is Now For Transformative Leadership

Success in business requires confident and fulfilled employees. Building that kind of workforce requires someone to lead a transformation. Persistent worker shortages, low unemployment, and post-pandemic phenomena like quiet quitting and remote workers are reshaping the business landscape. But wh...

Grounding Leadership in the Present: Unpacking the ‘Reality of Now’ Strategy

Getting caught up in idealised visions and lofty goals is easy in leadership. While aspirational thinking has its merits, the third strategy from the “Inclusive Leader’s Pocket Guide: 5 Powerful Strategies For Success” offers a counterpoint: the importance of “start...

Don’t Make This Leadership Mistake with New Team Members

I love sports. Though, like many avid sports fans, I often struggle with sportscasters. Some are great, to be sure — Vin Scully was the gold standard — but most are not. The reason why most are not great is, in part, because of a habit I like to refer to as “Narrative Dependency.&r...

Leadership is about bringing people along with you

Kevin could see solutions to problems long before others. But it made him impatient with his team; they could not keep up with him. They would often discuss a problem they faced, but he could already see a solution and wanted to push forward. However, if he did so before everyone had aligned, it onl...

Effective Leadership Communication: Building Trust and Inspiring Teams

Effective leadership communication is the cornerstone of successful leadership. It involves more than just conveying information; it’s about building trust, fostering collaboration, and inspiring teams to achieve common goals. Leaders who excel in communication convey their vision and create a...

Leadership Development with Jay Chase

Six months in prison changed everything for Jay Chase. Nobody messaged him and nobody missed him. The experience broke him open and was one of the biggest turning points in his life. From then on, Jay wanted to be the kind of person that somebody would miss. Today, he’s a powerful leader...

The Leadership Conundrum

Theories abound about whether leaders are born or made. Another context where the good old nature vs. nurture debate rears its head. As with most things, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Many experts seem to think the bulk of leadership ability comes from training, not some inna...

The Challenges of Maintaining Integrity in Leadership

Leaders face an endless list of expectations. They are expected to be effective, reliable, honest, and respectable. While these responsibilities are important, the challenge of maintaining integrity as a leader is arguably the most crucial. Integrity is one of the most valued qualities of a leader a...

10 Steps to Creating A Personal Leadership Brand

Is Branding Yourself Necessary in Business? When I spoke at the Women of Silicon Valley Conference in May, I spent several hours working with clients in the Career Advice and Personal Branding Hub. I talked to women from all over the country from big brands like Apple to small startups, an...

Nine Essential Leadership Lessons You Can Learn from Navy Seals

I‘ve been thinking and trying to read a lot on how to become a better leader of late. Anyone and everyone can be a leader in their own right. As someone who is big on the growth mindset, I don’t subscribe to the belief that “Great Leaders are born and not made”. While there m...

27 Quotes on Leadership and Exceptional Team Culture from Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer is a 3-time national football college champion coach. He won a pair of titles during the 2000s while at the University of Florida and a third title with the Ohio State Buckeyes. It was the third title, won in 2014, that serves as the backdrop for Meyer’s leadership book, “Abo...

10 Leadership Characteristics That Makes You A Good Leader

Integrity is the quality of having strong ethical or moral principles and following them at all times, no matter who’s watching. A person with integrity acts with honesty, honor, and truthfulness. You must have high-level integrity whether you are anyone. But if you ar...

Why Does My Company Need Leadership Coaching?

“I only have 20 people on board, I don’t need to empower my employees”, “Coaching? Isn’t it a bit too much? It’s just work!”, “I don’t have money for those useless meetings”, “My employees don’t need this kind of support&rdquo...

The Compassionate Edge: Unveiling Empathetic Leadership!

Sitting by the window in our Himalayan summer home, the warm sunlight filtering through the trees, my father and I share a moment over a cup of tea. As the tranquil breeze rustles the leaves, he imparts his timeless wisdom on leadership and life, his words inspiring me with every passing moment to d...

Case Study for Leadership Development and Team Collaboration

Summary: Here’s how to tell the truth at work; encourage openness and collaboration rather than defensiveness for successful team development. Dear Dr. Sylvia, We are now back in the office three days a week and working from home for two days. It certainly is changing the dynamic of...

Revisiting The 5 Ps of Leadership Journey

ncept of the five levels of leadership was introduced by John C. Maxwell in his book “The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential”. He presented the same through 5 Ps. According to Maxwell, these five levels of leadership represented a different stage in a lead...

Leadership in Action: Prioritizing Tasks and Effective Communication Under Pressure

I work at a large Tech company and work in a technology leadership role. In this article I wanted share a situation I and my team were in and how I handled it. A few days ago, I found myself at the center of a classic workplace scenario, one that tested both my leadership capabilities and communi...

Zoom In vs Zoom Out — 3 Steps to Maximizing Your Leadership Impact

The premise behind zooming in and zooming out is simple. There are times as a leader when you need to be close to things. Close to your product. Close to the technology. Close to your customers and employees. In these times you are in the proverbial weeds. You are literally “in the engine room...

Leadership Lessons — Top Gun : Maverick

Interstellar was my all time favorite movie until, Top Gun: Maverick. I must admit this movie resonates so much with my philosophy. This blog has been on my mind for sometime, it is a reflection of my thoughts and principles on leadership. We all have our own version of — “Who ...

Transactional Leadership Style can be rigid and uninspiring; however, is it a reasonable ground for leadership development?

Transactional leadership often gets a bad reputation for being too rigid and uninspiring — but in my experience, it is among the best ways to achieve long-term growth. After all, there is no right way to lead, and the best leaders will combine multiple styles (depending on the context) to g...

7 Principles for Achieving Leadership Integrity

Leadership integrity is one of the most important traits a leader can possess. When your actions match your words, people are more likely to trust and follow you. This means learning about and following the seven key principles that will help you stay honest and true to your values. By following ...

Deciphering the Key Signals of TRUST in Leadership

We all have worked with excellent and mediocre leaders. Sometimes, it is easy to pinpoint what makes them great to our eyes, and at other times, it could be more apparent. There is often nothing concrete to observe or support our feelings. The collection over time of actions and behaviors will slowl...

Leadership vs. Management: Understanding the Key Differences

In the world of business and organizations, the terms “leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably. However, they represent distinct roles with unique functions and responsibilities. To effectively guide an organization, it’s crucial to understand the di...

How to Rise From Management to Leadership

Managers often get so busy fulfilling the demands of their role that they fail to build any leadership skills. They think working harder and keeping stakeholders happy will get them into the leadership position someday. And some such managers do rise to leadership positions. But without building ...

Leadership Lessons from the Garden

Spring is winding down, and summer is around the corner. Lately, I have been spending time in my garden. It is the prime season to plant, prune, and fertilize as we anticipate the growth that will lead to garden delights. Time in my garden had me thinking about all the work that goes into produci...

Transformational Leadership: Strategies for Inspiring Teams

Leadership is a dynamic and influential force within organizations, and one leadership style that stands out for its profound impact is transformational leadership. Transformational leaders inspire and motivate their teams to achieve extraordinary results by fostering a shared vision, building trust...

Jazz as a Leadership Development Tool

What do sports coaches such as Bill Belichick and Bobby Knight and music directors and conductors such as Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis have in common? The answer is that to achieve their level of success, they have all had to be effective leaders. Say what? Sports such as football and music...

Leadership Is Messy: Five Ways to Address the Mess

Say Goodbye to the “Sink or Swim” Leadership Approach

Leadership is broken. Psychedelics are here to fix it.

The shroom boom is well and truly upon us. Earlier this year, Colorado passed Prop 122 to legalize and regulate psychedelic medicine. Across the pond, UK Conservative politicians are arguing for the same. Even the British royals (well, Prince Harry) are dipping a toe. The global psychedelic ...

What leadership assessments don’t tell you

“That’s just my leadership style.” You’ve taken over as the leader of a team in an organization in crisis. There is a definite sense of urgency — if things don’t change quickly, the financial consequences will be disastrous. But you know what to do. You jump in...

The Leadership Dilemma

Leadership Of The Future

Once more with feeling! More diversity, more flexible working conditions, aligning the company sustainably. Modern leadership demands a lot from managers — and relies more and more on emotions. These five key competencies make us fit for the future. Written by Lars Kreyenhagen, Chief Strate...

Leadership mantra: Let your people grow

And the journey begins… My journey as a Technology manager started in November 2022. In this article, I want to share my insights that might help you if you are also in this new role or if you have to lead other people. You can learn from mistakes… It is a very popular express...

Both/And: Untangling the Relationship Between Management & Leadership

A closer look at management, leadership, and why it’s important to understand the differences between the two. Photo by Tara Evans on Unsplash If you’re stepping into a leadership role, chances are you’re also going to be doing a lot of managing. And while ...

Leadership is Not Atomic

In the hundreds of media appearances I’ve done since my book came out I’ve often been asked questions such as, “What’s the most important skill someone needs to be a leader?” Wanting to be a good guest, I used to try to come up with an answer, even though I didn’t...

Hard Truths About Tech Leadership

Congratulations on your promotion or hiring as a manager! This new journey will be a thrilling adventure, but it’s filled with challenges and learning curves. Let’s chart the course for successful leadership together. If you are new to tech leadership this article is for you. 1. Embra...

The Leadership Journey: How to Become the Leader You Aspire to Be

Leadership is the ability to impact and influence others. Trailblazers are extraordinarily gifted at getting people to become related with considerations — even ones they couldn’t consistently give yes to. Two researchers, Jonathan Freedman and Scott Fraser, decided to test unequivoca...

Critical Pitfalls to Dodge on Your Path to Leadership

Inspirational Leadership: Motivating Your Team to Achieve Goals

Inspirational leadership is a powerful force that drives teams to accomplish remarkable feats. Leaders who possess the ability to inspire and motivate their teams are instrumental in achieving shared goals and fostering a culture of excellence. Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash ...

Leadership 101: The Sign of a True Leader

Silent but deadly. The leadership secret no one talks about.

Speaking up earned you a seat at the table You raised valid points in meetings, you stuck your head above the parapet and contributed to team culture. You spoke up on behalf of others and you got promoted. Congratulations, you have a seat at the table. Suddenly, people listen to you in meeting...

Leadership Lessons: Listening Beyond The Words

Confronting Your Biggest Leadership Pains

What Are the Best Leadership Courses?

In today’s dynamic and ever-evolving business landscape, effective leadership is paramount to an organization’s success. Leadership isn’t just about holding a position of authority; it’s about inspiring and guiding teams to achieve their full potential. To become a great lead...

What is Barbie Leadership?

According to Marian Iszatt-White and Christopher Saunders, authenticity is derived from an individual’s personal awareness of their “experiences, needs, thoughts, wants, emotions, preferences and beliefs”. The performance of authenticity requires an active engagement and investigat...

19 Best Books On Leadership To Become A Leader

Leadership is an essential skill that someone can acquire through knowledge, experience, and continuous learning. If you want to be a better leader and are looking to refine your leadership abilities then the right information can be useful for your success. You can read many leadership books ...

Want to be a Leader? Here are Four Top Leadership Principles for Not Just Work, but Everyday Life

Have you aspired to consistently motivate and better yourself? Do you see yourself more as a leader than a follower? Or if you and/or your peers don’t see yourself as a leader but you want them to, what are you going to do? Like earning the greatest things in life, becoming a leader is not ...

Leadership Lessons from ‘The Last Dance’: What We Can Learn from Michael Jordan

If you’ve recently binge-watched “The Last Dance” like I did, you’re probably still buzzing with excitement from reliving the incredible journey of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Beyond all the dunks and game-winning shots though, I was super inspired and gripped by Jo...

Crafting a Personal Narrative: Turning Experiences into Leadership Advantages

Overcoming Stereotypes: Challenging Superficial Judgments Aspiring leaders often face the challenge of being judged on superficial traits or lack of traditional credentials. In my personal experience, I was told that I didn’t have the right background, lacking an MBA and only having a liber...

5 Questions to Ask the Senior Team When Designing a Leadership Program

When you’re designing a leadership program, how do you go about it? What does a good leadership development program look like? What do you put in the leadership program? How do you even write a development program to please the executive team and the learners? “I start with...

Still Want to Achieve Big Things This Year? Great Leadership Begins with Self.

Leadership Lessons from “Billions”: Mastering High-Stakes Business Leadership

As an executive HR leader specializing in tech sectors and a connoisseur of captivating narratives, I find TV dramas like “Billions” to be more than just entertainment; they’re a masterclass in leadership. Whether you’re a CEO, a senior tech leader, or an aspiring entrepreneu...

Leading With Heart: Harnessing Leadership Skills Through Volunteering

A few weeks ago, my partner and I were invited to be guest speakers at a local high school’s Black Student Union. The first question asked was how we navigate reactions to our hair in the workplace as I wear my hair in braids and my partner has long locs. We spoke to them about the impor...

Climb the Leadership Ladder: 9 Essential Reads for Future Leaders!

Embarking on a leadership journey is like scaling a mountain. The path to the peak is paved with challenges, learning curves, and moments of self-discovery. Just as a mountaineer arms themselves with the right gear, aspiring leader needs the best intellectual tools to ascend the leadership ladder.&n...

The Two Faces of Engineering Leadership

I log on to my laptop, check slack messages, and join a zoom support call. “What’s going on?” I ask. “We’ve got a problem with the database” my colleague responds. “Have we tried switching it off and on again?” I jest. My team ha...

The Best Predictors of Leadership Success: Unveiling the Traits That Matter

In the world of business and management, the concept of leadership success has captivated scholars, researchers, and practitioners alike. What sets successful leaders apart from the rest? What traits and qualities do they possess that enable them to rise to the top and achieve remarkable results?...

How CEOs Grow Leadership By Being a Role Model Every Day.

In the middle of my corporate leadership career, I was working for a global mobile telecommunications company. During that time, I had the great fortune to work very closely with the CEO of the Pacific Group of Companies. He was a remarkable individual because he had such an enormous role and yet wa...

Surrendered Leadership: the ecstasy of practicing collective wisdom

I now see more clearly than ever my relationship to everything. I feel lighter, more connected, and inspired to share life. Since 2019, I have been learning and facilitating Circling, a relational-based mindfulness practice, and this summer at the International Circling Festival in the Nethe...

Unleashing the Power of Personal Experience in Leadership

In the realm of leadership, there are countless resources and advice available on how to be an effective leader. From books to seminars, we are inundated with information on the best ways to lead and inspire others. However, amidst the abundance of knowledge, it’s important to recognize that t...

Three Cornerstones of Leadership

When I talk to people about Leadership I always emphasize the practical aspects, things that everyone can work on to be a better leader. To tell an aspiring Manager to have more “Executive Presence” or improve “Decision Making Capacity” does not give them actionable advice. I...

The Evolution of Leadership Theories: Navigating the Ambivert Spectrum in a Modern Software Development Environment

In the ever-evolving landscape of organizational leadership, theories have shifted from the early trait-based models to more complex frameworks that consider situational factors, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Shafique and Beh’s (2017) seminal work provides a comprehensive overview ...

10 leadership lessons from Lao-Tzu

Leadership and Growth Tips for Teachers

The start of a new school year often gets teachers thinking about their career trajectories and whether they want to pursue leadership roles. In the schools where I worked, there was always a variety of opportunities for teachers to assume leadership roles. Opportunities included department chair, g...

Leadership: “Make It So”

The basis behind the book is an episode-by-episode synopsis of the leadership abilities that were shown by Captain Picard as he assembled away teams for missions. Some of those lessons taught: Focus on a single “mission” Effective communication Teamwork Honor The adve...

How Deep is a CEOs Leadership Talent Pipeline? From Top to Bottom?

How to Rise From Management to Leadership

Vision: the often missing leadership ingredient

One of the most important skills I look for from current and future leaders is to be able to communicate vision. Without a clear vision, it’s impossible to align between members of the same team — let alone people from different teams. This is a skill everyone in the team can develop &md...

“Leadership is Language”

You may not think much of using terms like “resources” rather than “people” or “I” vs “we” but at a subconscious level these words start to infiltrate our minds. For both the person using them and those hearing it. Perhaps you’re thinking, &ls...

The Leadership and Management of Knowledge Workers

In our fast-paced, knowledge-driven economy, there’s an ever-increasing need to re-evaluate our perceptions of leadership and management. While leadership and management are often used interchangeably, they represent distinct facets of organisational life. But where does each fit in, es...

The Unspoken Challenges of Engineering Leadership

You’ve just become an engineering leader — a tech lead, team lead, or engineering manager. Congratulations! You probably seek guidance on what skills you should develop in this position. You will read about decision-making, team building, priorities management, and delegation. These a...

The Salt Shaker Theory of Leadership

Amongst the most successful restaurateurs of the last 50 years, one stands out: Danny Meyer. Danny conceived of, built, and reinvented world-famous venues like Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, and my own personal favorite (and a frequent lunch stop just down the street from my office in Chicago), S...

3 Unconventional Leadership Lessons from Psychology

Full disclosure: I’m not a psychologist. My insights are based on my conversations with the people who are, as well as soul-searching, observations, experiences, and my own successes and struggles in human relationships. Over the course of my career, I watched people dissolve in front of my...

Leading with Heart: Small Business Tactics for Servant Leadership

Developed by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s, servant leadership is a management approach that has steadily gained recognition for its ability to transform organizational culture. In small businesses, this leadership style can be a huge benefit for managers looking to improve em...

5 Unmistakable Signs of Poor Leadership

Poor leaders are a death sentence. They alienate quality team-members. They disrupt workflow. They drive passion and motivation off a cliff. And yet our cup runneth over with them. Why? Often, it’s because they cultivate the right skills to appear effective at the expense of being eff...

Honestly, Have Our “Takes” On Leadership Even Evolved That Much?

Basically, to frame this up, in 1955–10 years post-WW2 — we were discussing “the effectiveness of managers.” 67 years later, we’re still having essentially the same discussions about managers, even though seemingly very little about managers has changed in tho...

Engineering Leadership Tactics: Resilience Through Collaboration

Collaboration is a good thing. There will be no one in the technology industry saying otherwise. As a rule of thumb, most companies and software engineering organizations are organized in cross-functional teams, allowing people in different disciplines to work together towards the same outcome. H...

Why Your Mind Reading Skill Is A Treacherous Leadership Game

The Simple Leadership Principles That Build Trust and Respect

Everything is harder without trust and respect. They’re the glue that bind together a team or company. Without them, you’ll never be able to fully leverage the skills and talents in your midst. But as a busy leader, it can be hard to spot when things are bad until they’re rea...

Leadership Lessons I Learned From My First Boss

Hard Truths About Tech Leadership

Leadership Anti-patterns — with personal anecdotes

Learning via Negativa is robust. You should know what to avoid, especially mistakes people often commit. Leadership is a wide subject and mastering it requires practice and experience. The minimum you can do is to stay away from mistakes others commit every day. In this article, I provide a list ...

How Chief of Staff Operates Senior Leadership Meetings

Every high-performance organization adopts a strict and coordinated management system and customs for operational excellence. In order to achieve effective executive meetings, you’re going to need a handful of things to prepare, orchestrate, and follow up on. These meetings are important as...

The Tragedy of Coriolanus — How Leadership Falters

Coriolanus was a Roman general with many battlefield successes against the Volci. Despite this, he was banished from Rome for being too dictatorial. So he offered his services to the Volci, but after many victories, he was convinced to spare Rome. He died in exile, shamed for his perfidy and failure...

Why Women Are Being Ousted from Church Leadership

We need you “working in our churches… We just don’t need you to be the pastors of our churches.” This statement is one of the more recent inflammatory comments made by a sexist male church leader. The largest Protestant denomination in America recently voted&...

A roadmap to inclusive leadership: workplace accessibility (key no3)

Welcome back to our deep dive into the keys to inclusive leadership. In this third installment, we’re zooming in on a topic often misunderstood: workplace accessibility. It’s a buzzword that’s thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? If what comes to mind is just about ad...

5 Ways to Advance Age Diversity in Your Company’s Leadership Ranks

Some of the biggest companies in the world are right here in the U.S., and although they all sell different products, they still have one thing in common: They’re led by men from Generation X and above. In fact, over the past decade, the number of CEOs ages 65 to 69 nearly doubled according to...

A roadmap to inclusive leadership: stigma and bias (key no11)

If we’re aiming to lead with an open mind, it’s crucial that we stay alert to the subtle ways biases and stigmas about disabilities can shape our actions — from who we bring on board to how we connect as a team daily. Since such obstacles can kill the inclusivity vibe of even the m...

It’s Just a Question of Leadership

Here in California, it doesn’t rain often, so when it does, it’s a cause for rejoicing… that is, until you hear, when you’re sitting there cozy by the fireplace, the faint sound of a drip. That is what happened in our home last week. As I looked up, there in the corner by th...

Urgent Call for Leadership: Be Courageous and Safeguard Democracy and Equality in America, Not Your Job

In a time of global upheaval and domestic challenges, the United States stands at a crossroads. The call for leadership cannot be more pressing, nor are the stakes higher. This is a call to our leaders: It’s time to cast aside fear and embrace the responsibility of protecting and nurturing the...

How to manage a party leadership handover

Last week Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation as Prime Minister of New Zealand. She will also hand over as Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, which he has led since August 2017. Leadership transitions are volatile and potentially dangerous periods for parties–but a cha...

Management and leadership reflections

The best managers in my experience are those who are humble, approachable and relatable. Authenticity brings out psychological safety in the culture. Make sure you are on the floor to get a real feel of what is going on. A role model in teamwork by supporting staff. Those who stay curious and contin...

A Career Path for Strategic Leadership

People at work these days tend to be ambitious. They want a lot from work: Money, recognition, a challenging (but not too challenging) career path, and a sense that they belong. Having lived during a time of pandemic, they also want to accomplish something significant: to make a contribution and be ...

From Lucy to Leadership, Part 1: We Are All Africans

What is more fascinating to us humans than ourselves? Don’t we check how we look when we pass a mirror? Didn’t we invent psychology, sociology, and anthropology because we are obsessed with understanding who we are and why we behave as we do? Don’t we love seeing our names menti...

Regenerative Fashion: A Nature-Based Approach to Fibres, Livelihoods and Leadership [book review].

What is regenerative fashion? First up, let’s unpick this term. A relatively newly-coined phrase, the “regenerative” in regenerative fashion speaks to shifting mindsets about what our planet and its people actually need. With updates to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on...