Climbing Solo
When I hear of the exploits of amateur climbers who somehow manage to summit Mount Everest, it makes me wonder – how many more times has his guide been to the top? When I watch amazing footage of wild life experts and extreme sports, I wonder, “If it was hard for the person on screen, […]
Is Your Team Due for a Spring Cleaning?
There’s something about “new.” Somehow the idea of new gives energy, enthusiasm, focus. Yet so often we find ourselves stuck in “old.” Same job, same house, same routine. Just as winter transitions to spring and the world outside renews itself, maybe it’s time to look at your leadership and your team and take a moment […]
Spotlight the Support
My daughter is a big fan of Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton. She was home on spring break recently, so we took her to see an earlier production of his: In the Heights. Our seats were good, the actors were talented, the lyrics were clever, and at the end the crowd gave the […]
How to Build Team Culture From the Ground Up
Every team will develop its own distinctive culture. A good team culture can be positive, supporting, and contribute to greater productivity, employee engagement, and satisfaction. A bad one can have the opposite effect. The thing is, you don’t have to leave it to chance to see which way your team culture will go. If you […]
Who are the Real Stars?
We like to focus on the star – the one person who always seems to get it done. But if we zero in too closely on one star, we lose sight of the other points of light in the sky. The Chicago Bulls put five people on the court, not just Michael Jordan. Somebody has […]
3 Ways You Might be Sabotaging Your Team’s Culture on Day 1
Your team’s culture is it’s life-blood, its soul. It’s who you are and how you interact as a group. If it’s a good one, your culture can directly contribute to increased employee engagement, rising productivity and decreased turnover. But if you are not careful, from the very first day someone new joins your team, you […]
Finish What You Start – It Will Set You Apart
Starting something is fun. It’s exciting. Everything is new, the possibilities seem limitless. Potential is everywhere. It takes only a moment to make a promise or set a goal. Delivering is harder. It takes effort. The excitement fades. Everything seems to take longer than it should. Distractions arise. Frustration sets in. The shine comes off […]
Mind the Gap: 9 Ways to Close the Trust Gap on Your Team
People will only willingly follow you if they trust you, and believe in your destination. But like boarding a train, there comes a moment when they have to step from the platform into the passenger compartment and join you for the ride. Crossing that gap is a leap of faith: It requires trust. Yet a […]
How to Build Team Culture One Test at a Time
We all recognize that building team culture is important We know a strong team culture can have a huge positive impact on team effectiveness, employee engagement, and overall productivity. The question is, where does it come from? How do we build it? To me, the short answer is that culture is shaped most powerfully by […]
5 Essential New Manager Survival Tips
Your first days as the new leader of a team can be a challenge – new faces, new places, the fire hose is on and you are definitely drinking in as much as you possibly can. And even as all this is happening, you are anxious to make a good impression, build your team, and […]
How to Communicate the Vision: Striking the Right Chord
A while ago we talked about the importance of seeking to understand our leadership environment before we start trying to lead. If we were taking good notes and paying attention, we should have a pretty good idea of the direction we want to take the team. Now the question becomes, how do we get them […]
6 Steps You Should Take Immediately as a New Manager
They made you a new manager. Great! Now what? Whatever you did to become a new manager is probably not enough to help you be successful there. Leading well is a skill set of its own. To help you make the adjustment successfully, it helps to have a plan. In this post I’ll give you […]
