Thoughts On Leadership

How To Keep Your Blind Spots in Check

Blinded By Your Blind Spots?

I recently got some feedback from my team that I should increase my LinkedIn presence. Definitely a blind spot that I was not addressing.

When you’re surrounded by people who want to bring out the best in you, it implies that you also need to be open to having blind spots called out – even on social media. If you’re committed to growth, you have to look for opportunities to get tough news and be willing to act on what’s being offered.

So, here’s my first LinkedIn post on blind spots: How To Keep Your Blind Spots In Check

Executive Coaching Is Not One Size Fits All

Pick the Right Coach for the Win

In today’s workplace, one size fits all is rarely useful when it comes to leadership development. Our workforce is a mix of millennials and veterans who both could benefit from executive coaching. So, what is more beneficial: Investing in your millennial who shows early signs of being a strong leader in the future or empowering your seasoned veteran who seems ready for a leadership opportunity? Both can be a worthwhile investment with the right executive coach. A well-trained coach is one who understands that millennials want to accelerate quickly and need direct feedback to move forward, and veterans are eager to be introspective in order to grow.

Read HBR’s Younger and Older Executives Need Different Things From Coaching to make sure you know what to look for in a coach.

Employee Engagement Starts with a Little Love

What Motivates You: Paycheck or Passion?

Do you love your job? If your answer is yes, then chances are you are also a top performer. Workplace research shows that motivation comes from the heart, not from the mind. Leaders who understand this intrinsic motivation are likely to lead teams who are engaged, loyal and successful.

Find out what drives your employees to excel:

Why Engagement Happens in Employees’ Hearts, Not Their Minds

Engaging Leadership

If You Lead (Well), They Will Follow

What makes a good leader?  Tough Guy or Nice Guy?  A boss who pushes employees to a higher standard of excellence?  Or a boss who emphasizes trust and empowerment?  The boss who gets the greatest commitment from employees has a combination of these two styles.  Keep your eye on the goal, but keep connected to your people. Then lead, and they will follow.

Nice or Tough: Which Approach Engages Employees Most

Retool Your Rhetoric

Ethos + Pathos + Logos = Effective Communication

In business, communication is the key to success.  Just ask, Aristotle.  Scott Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group, reflected on what it takes to be an effective communicator and found that Aristotle had it figured out centuries ago.  Focusing on ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional connection) and logos (appealing to reason), in proper balance, will result in improved communication, and, ultimately, better business relationships.

Three Elements of Great Communication, According to Aristotle