No one likes to hear that they are not doing well, have weaknesses, or are not measuring up in some way.  As leaders it often falls to us to give this kind of feedback to others, and those can be difficult, uncomfortable conversations.  But what about receiving critical feedback? Most people aren’t actively seeking discomfort.  […]

The post Seeking Discomfort: 7 Ways to Embrace Uncomfortable Feedback appeared first on RapidStart Leadership.

It can be tough to handle criticism.  As leaders we need to be open and ready to listen to the good, the bad, and the ugly. How we respond to that criticism after listening can take many forms. The story is told of a man out walking with Abraham Lincoln one day. The friend spoke […]

The post Howling at The Moon: One Way to Handle Criticism appeared first on RapidStart Leadership.

Are you waiting for permission to proceed? Traffic signals organize and coordinate the flow of traffic. They keep things safe and orderly. We wait for the green light to proceed. Organizations have managers and supervisors. They direct the traffic too. Most people wait to be told what to do, then do it. But leaders don’t […]

The post Waiting for the Light to Change appeared first on RapidStart Leadership.

Too often the new leader steps forward to take charge, but quickly becomes frustrated when people won’t listen to his demands. What’s wrong? These leaders don’t see the paradoxes of leadership. What they think they need to do to be a good leader is actually making it harder for them to lead. Today we’ll talk about seven […]

The post 7 Leadership Paradoxes: It’s Not What You Thought appeared first on RapidStart Leadership.

How does a humble leader lead without becoming a door mat? I believe the Servant-Leader mindset is the best sustainable approach to leadership.  But if you are not careful, it is easy to fall into the idea that to lead, you are supposed to be running around doing everything you can to make everybody happy. […]

The post The Humble Leader Paradox appeared first on RapidStart Leadership.

The popular ideal of a leader who stands alone in the face of adversity barking orders that are instantly obeyed makes for good cinema.  But in the real world, that’s not the way the most effective leaders get the job done. Instead, they practice something called Servant-Leadership, a much more powerful and sustainable approach to […]

The post How Serving Can Make You a Better Leader appeared first on RapidStart Leadership.