Whoever coined the phrase “fearless leader” must not have been a leader. Because “fear” and “leadership” go together hand in hand. Talk to any effective leader and they will tell you that fear has been a lifelong companion on their leadership journey. Anytime you push the envelope, launch a new initiative, or stake out new territory, you…
How To Unleash the Power of the Spinal Tap Leadership Principle
Leadership requires “10 out of 10” level performance day in and day out. But there are times when a leader must go even beyond “10 out of 10”. Sometimes a leader must punch their amp up to “11”. Fans of the classic comedy film This is Spinal Tap know exactly what I’m talking about. This “mock-umentary” about…
How To Forge Deep, Lasting Values By Ringing The Bell For What Matters Most
The values on your team or in your organization are not formed by the posters and plaques that hang on the wall. More than any other factor, values are formed by what you celebrate. There’s an old axiom that says, “What gets measured, gets done.” And while there is truth in this, when it comes…
5 Questions To Ask Before You Say, “It Doesn’t Matter Who Gets The Credit”
You can’t build a great team, if you don’t know who keeps coming up with all those great ideas. As a leader, you need to know who your big idea generators are. And one of the biggest reasons so many leaders fail to identify their top idea people is because of misunderstanding the phrase, “Just…
How To Use a Simple Tuning Fork to Drive Organizational Clarity
As a leader, one of the most under-rated instruments in your toolbox is a simple tuning fork. You might not carry the actual instrument with you, but I’ve learned that watching for “tuning fork moments” can be a crucial leadership tool. I learned this in conversation with a teammate who didn’t seem to understand the…
