Assume positive intent
Fraught conversations with people who do not feel safe is something we all have experienced since childhood. In order to protect ourselves, we prepare to be verbally savaged. We stay awake at night planning retorts or revenge. Having a skillful verbal retort gets us some space to think and creates a momentary protective shield. Wait, […]
Sensemaking is a leadership skill
In a Vistage webinar on Friday, Dave Nelson commented that in the list of required leadership skills for successful leaders, perhaps the most important one in this moment, beyond, vision, drive, effective decisionmaking, ability to attract and retain top talent, etc. was sensemaking. His talk was about AI, but this captured my attention immediately. What […]
Execute like a project management pro
Let’s be honest, a great strategy poorly executed doesn’t make it versus your competitors. A pretty good strategy well executed will beat you every time. So, shouldn’t you be focused on executing more effectively? Sure you say, but how? This week Andrea Jones showed my Vistage groups how to Execute Easier. Becoming more organized […]
Endings – elegant or otherwise
How damaging is it when a team member leaves the company for a competitor and trashes everything about your organization on the way out? Have you had this happen to you? Have you done it yourself?
Consequence of error
Have you ever noodled on an issue for way too long because you just couldn’t decide between two options? One way to think about your thinking (or your speed to decision) might be to consider the consequence of error.
Hear it from someone else
I was talking with a Senior Executive in an organization I knew well. He complained “Nora, I really resent it when you come to meet with the CEO.” “What, Why?” I asked, feeling upset and anxious. “Because, you tell him what we have been saying for years, and suddenly he announces he is going to […]
Who walks with you?
I’ve noticed that successful leaders have trouble asking for help. Years of being the one who others look to for answers may be part of the reason. Or, maybe it is a personality type that is drawn to leadership. At some point this becomes a less effective strategy, and it is time to seek the […]
Peace on earth, good will to men…
Peace on earth, good will to men has not had a good year.The war in Ukraine continues, the MidEast has erupted, Jews and Palestinians in the US who had nothing to do with the violence in the MidEast are being threatened. The amount of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in every continent has skyrocketed. Rather […]
Short bursts of play
Bogie, my standard poodle, burst into my office with a toy he found on a walk and ran around daring me to chase him – which of course I jumped up and did. For 5 minutes, I chased him and threw his toy until he was done, and so was I. If you have kids […]
Adults need play, too!
When was the last time you had a weekend to get away and play with your friends? This weekend my Eastside CEO group worked and played together at South Lake Tahoe.