Do you remember playing Not It! as a kid? Do you remember playing Not It! as a kid? Someone, likely a teacher or parent, would ask a group to do something not-so-fun, and immediately someone would shout, “one, two, three—not It!” Everyone in the group was...
How to Leverage Three Styles of Action to be a Better Leader-Manager Getting things done and motivating others to do the same is the most essential skill-set of all leader-managers. In general, there are three styles of leadership action that can be used to motivate...
Leadership Frequencies and Regaining Time and Energy Each of us is pre-wired to start every conversation or discussion in one of the three frequencies at which our brain operates—thinking (executive function), feeling (limbic system), and acting (bottom brain stem)....
How to Regain Focus & Energy Have you ever gone from one meeting to the next and felt like your head is a snow globe? When you shift context and jump from one part of your mind to another without appropriate adjustment time, it feels like going from a dark room to...
Mountain Climbing Time Management Avoiding Altitude Sickness Entrepreneurial and mid-level leaders derive great satisfaction and energy from jumping between tasks, but often don’t really consider the operating level at which they lead. Over time, this constant...
I once coached a CEO when one of their VPs interrupted to ask what colour the boss wanted the office painted.
The CEO offered their opinion and then refocused on our conversation. I responded, “Do you really feel that picking out paint colours is a wise use of your mental energy as CEO?” Their counter was, “I don’t stop to think about it much. If someone asks me for my opinion, then I give it to them.”
Oh, the double-edged sword of leadership. Senior leaders must become exceptionally good at making decisions with limited data and be comfortable just making the call. Overusing this style can create a check-in culture where the team becomes overly reliant on the boss’s opinion and hesitates to move without consultation.
I once coached a CEO when one of their VPs interrupted to ask what colour the boss wanted the office painted. The CEO offered their opinion and then refocused on our conversation. I responded, “Do you really feel that picking out paint colours is a wise use of your mental energy as CEO?” Their counter was, “I don’t stop to think about it much. If someone asks me for my opinion, then I give it to them.” Oh, the double-edged sword of leadership. Senior leaders must become exceptionally good at making decisions with limited data and be comfortable just making the call. Overusing this style can create a check-in culture where the team becomes overly reliant on the boss’s opinion and hesitates to move without consultation.
