The Dangers of Taking the Easy Way
“What’s wrong with taking the easy way?” Sometimes the answer to our problem seems easy. But the easy solution may not always be the right one. Today in “Lines for Leaders” I’ll share what one famous person said about the dangers of taking the “easy way,” along with some thoughts about how we can make […]
Planning to Be Lucky: Are We Betting on the Wrong Thing?
Can we really plan to be lucky? He said, “Luck is the residue of design.” Who was it, and what did he mean? And more importantly, how can we put his idea to work so that the lucky breaks come when we roll the dice? All that and more in this edition of Lines for […]
Establishing Trust: Why the Details Matter
How do we establish trust? We know that establishing trust is a key to leading well, but how do we go about it? An unexpected encounter in the back of a dark garage shines a light on how we can build the trust we need to lead.
Leading Your Army: Is This Really the One You Wanted?
If leading your army feels like a parade, you might be doing it wrong. Appearances are important, and first impressions matter, but too often we can find ourselves overly focused on how things look at the expense of how well they function. When it comes to leading your army, what others see isn’t as important […]
Overloaded: The Thing That Keeps Us From Leading Well
“Are we carrying around things that make us poor leaders?” It’s easy to collect things, harder to let them go. But as leaders we have to be aware that some of those things, one in particular, can get in our way and prevent us from leading as effectively as we’d like.
Following the Follower: 15 Ways to Lead Better by Following Better
Can being better followers make us better leaders? Focusing on following may seem an odd way to tackle the challenges of leading, but there’s a power in this approach we can easily overlook. There’s a danger in ignoring it, too. That was a lesson I learned the hard way deep in the dry, burning pine […]
Setting Limits: 15 Ways to Do More By Giving Ourselves Less
Is having no limits really a good thing? We often find ourselves wishing that the limitations in our lives were gone. We yearn for a mythical time when we can do whatever we want however we want for as long as we want. Two things about this though: 1) It’s never going to happen; and […]
The Eraser Test: How to Know When It’s Time for a Change
How do we know when to change the plan? A casual remark by a friend last week got me thinking about the idea of flexibility and change. As leaders, we choose the objectives and set the course. But once we’re underway, how do we know if we should keep on keeping on, or if we […]
Change the Game: 7 Ways to Build Teammates Who Can Do More
How do we increase the odds of “winning” with the team we have? At the beginning of any game, everyone starts with the same number of players on the board. And in the rush to get things done, we focus on moving those players around the best we can. If we’re good, we might win. […]
Reintroducing Quibbling: The Kryptonite of Leadership
What is quibbling and why does it matter to leaders? Do you remember watching Superman, and seeing what happens to him when he comes in contact with Kryptonite? How weak and ineffective he becomes? I think that there’s something just as powerful that we are all exposed to every day, and it can have a similar […]
Type 2 Fun: The Secret to Achieving Your Goals
Who knew there were different categories of fun? Not all fun is created equal. If you want to accomplish great things, it’s the Type 2 fun that you’re looking for. Here’s what I mean…
Learning to Fly: Innovation, Risk, and Leadership in the Real World
Most of us have probably heard of the Wright Brothers and their invention of the airplane. But did you know that one of their earlier flights featured a canoe strapped to the bottom of their flying machine? Why would such a thing be necessary, and what does their example tell us about what it takes […]
