Years ago, I drove through a custard stand with my three young children. As they were contemplating toppings, I saw the topping options and exclaimed, “They offer pretzel toppings!” My kiddos were surprised by my excitement about this familiar item on the menu. However, my excitement stemmed from childhood memories of putting crunched pretzels on…
Who is standing in line to become a people manager? Well, that line is short! Getting promoted to a manager was once a key career milestone. Today, many early-career professionals consider it a punishment. A survey of 10,000+ LinkedIn users revealed that 69% of them would leave their job if they had a bad manager.…
Communication is typically the lowest-scoring topic on any climate or culture survey. It has been that way for decades. During times of crisis or disruptive change, leaders are required to elevate their communication game to keep their teams focused, connected, and productive. These 5 C's of communication serve as a checklist for leaders: Calm Confident Clear Compassionate Consistent.…
Uncertainty really elevates the need for leaders to bring the right mindset and actions to their teams. Here are some quick tips to help you lead with resilience during these uncertain times. Contact us to see how we can support you and your team.
Much of what we do is help leaders and their organizations create order. This order might come in the form of a crisp meeting rhythm, culture alignment, a clear growth plan, an accountability process, a consistent way of communicating, or a defined approach to developing future leaders. Predictably, the client’s newfound order frees them up…
A few years back, I had the privilege of interviewing the late Colleen Barrett, President Emeritus at Southwest Airlines and chief nurturer of their famed culture. She was a treasured friend. You can watch that interview here. Colleen was as good a follower as she was a leader. During our interview, she addressed the concept…
Very few tasks are performed completely in isolation for today's leader. Leaders harness diverse resources and collaborate across functions. In fact, our favorite definition of teamwork is "connected independence." The success of most organizations is directly proportionate to their leaders' ability to inspire excellent teamwork. High-performing teams consciously apply the Team Effectiveness and Alignment Model (T.E.A.M.). As…
Most of us are so technologically connected that we couldn’t disconnect even if we tried. Many of us fear having to stare down that dark tunnel of technology withdrawal. What we are talking about, however, is connecting human-to-human versus being connected via technology. We live in a high-tech world, but building healthy relationships is still…
“Your purpose is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” —Frederick Buechner There is only one of you. No one is exactly like you, and no one was created for the purpose you are to fulfill each day on Earth. Your purpose may or may not be what you do for a living, but it…
We have hosted complimentary CXO lunches 3 times a year for the past 26 years.Last week, we featured a discussion with a long-time client, Daniel L. Jones. Daniel is the former CEO of Encore Wire, who led the company for over 30 years—from start-up to a $3B industry leader.We highlighted our Healthy Growth model. Healthy…
