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...
Some leaders are high-level thinkers. They speak in terms of vision and strategy, and love to use big picture ideas to inspire their team. Other leaders are more technically-oriented, and prefer to roll up their sleeves and get into the weeds, leading by example to...
It has been months since remote work has become the reality for most workplaces. For many, this has been a victory over the daily commute and grind of never-ending meetings and late nights. Some employees have even moved further away from the office in hopes that this...
Is this the year to ditch goal setting? To the organizational consultant, goal setting makes sense. If you get a team or organization to set a vision for the future they are more likely to grow and form into something bigger and better. The science of goal setting...
Senior managers report spending up to 75% of their week in meetings. Being able to effectively manage and communicate in meetings is an essential skillset required of any leader who wants to be successful within their organization. The Meeting Tracker tool provides...
Performance conversations are part of the core activities of a leader-manager. Performance conversations provide an opportunity for leaders to sit with direct reports and provide real-time feedback on what is working, what isn’t and what needs to change. It’s...
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.
