Picture the ripple effect of throwing a stone into a calm pond. The waves get larger and cover more surface as they expand. Think of trust-building in this way. Stephen M. R. Covey says, “As trust is manifest in each successive wave, the effect of trust becomes cumulative and exponential.” Below, in order, are the … Read more
I’ve written a lot about the role of “vulnerability-based trust” in cohesive teams. Patrick Lencioni explored the concept of vulnerability-based trust as a critical foundation for teams. Read more about Lencioni’s model here, here, and here. Trust is multi-faceted. Although I adore Patrick Lencioni’s model, there is another way of looking at trust. The concepts … Read more
Some people push back when you ask them to take a positive approach in their leadership. They equate positivity with being nice, but being kind is deeper than empty hype like, “Good job” or “Nice work” or “Super!” You can’t be too kind. But, I agree you can be too soft. There’s a difference between … Read more
Vision is the two-fold ability to:1) Accurately see the current reality of your organization/situation.2) Creatively see the possibilities for the future of your organization/situation. Try this simple activity to make the concept of vision more concrete, actionable, and enduring: Step One: Make 2 lists. Each list will have three items. List #1: List three words … Read more
Typically applied to human biology and exercise, the Adaptation Principle is the body’s way of adjusting to increased or decreased physical demands to remain in homeostasis. Applied to life circumstances and work, the Adaptation Principle says that when human beings get used to how they operate in the world around them, they stop noticing what … Read more
I’ve been working with organizations in all sectors for over ten years, helping them develop leaders who motivate and teams who love working together. However, it took a few years for some skeptical high-level leaders and large corporations to take me seriously. Why? Because I had no background working in a corporate environment. My degrees … Read more
“Humility is the cornerstone of leadership.” –John G. Miller The word “leadership” brings to mind several adjectives: action-oriented, outgoing, visionary, confident, competent, problem-solving, and responsible. However, I would argue the most important quality in a leader is humility. But what is humility and what does it look like? Firstly, let’s start with what humility is … Read more
Jim, the principal at my first teaching job, often said, “Most days, we have fun around here.” He said this to me at my job interview and followed it with “…and you can’t say that about most jobs.” I accepted the job and realized he was right. But that was 30 years ago, and Jim … Read more
We all know the value of modeling for team members. We also know it’s appropriate to delegate tasks in order to develop others. Here are some thoughts on the relationship between modeling and delegation: Delegated work makes people feel valued, included, and appreciated. When people are empowered at work, you can expect more productivity and … Read more
I got really annoyed at a hotel front desk clerk once. It was my first time at the hotel, too. One of the hotel staff originally said we (my extended family and I) would have adjoining rooms, but when we arrived, we found we weren’t in adjoining rooms. So, I explained the situation to the … Read more