If everything is an emergency, nothing is an emergency. The truth of this leadership axiom is lost on many leaders who seem to lurch their leadership, and their team, from one panic-riddled crisis to another. I was once on a team led by such a leader. “All hands on deck!”, “Emergency meeting!” and “Everyone into the conference room,…
The Fear Factor: How to Turn Anxiety into Action as a Leader
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…
3 Speech Habits That Scream Insecurity
Just as certain regional accents can reveal where a person is from, there are leadership ways of speaking that can reveal the level of security you possess as a leader. The speaking patterns in leadership are not about accents. They’re about a manner of speaking that just as certainly can pinpoint whether you have a…
How To Avoid The Perils Of “Watch Me Swim” Leadership
Have you ever encountered a “watch me swim” leader? This is the person who insists on letting you know about every accomplishment they’ve achieved, no matter how small or insignificant. The attitude is very similar to the child splashing around the swimming pool, desperate for the grown-ups to notice their aquatic abilities. For children in…
Five Ways “I’m So Busy” Undermines Your Leadership Credibility
In a world that has attached a strange nobility to the notion of being busy, effective leaders stand out by avoiding the “I’m so busy” trap. One of the most effective leaders I’ve ever known was highly productive, and yet operated at a pace that was somehow both urgent and yet unhurried. This leader had…
