As a leader you must certainly project optimism. But when you cross the line into exaggeration or hyperbole, your leadership is facing significant risks. A leader in my orbit once described a very average meeting we had been in as “Quite possibly our best meeting ever!” The statement was so over-the-top, and so removed from…
Why Authentic Leaders Heed The 4 Warning Signs 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…
5 Surprising Ways That “I’m So Busy” Is A Leadership Credibility Killer
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…
How To Avoid One of the Biggest Mistakes Leaders Make in Leading Change
To introduce significant change, leaders must know when and how to cash in their “change chips”. Leaders possess a certain number of ‘change chips’, made up of credibility, respect, authority, good will and other essential leadership ingredients. You pick up change chips every time you keep your word, share credit with the team, achieve a key…
3 Times When Saying, “I Don’t Know” Is A Terrible Leadership Response
When a leader responds to a question by saying, “I don’t know”, it can reveal transparency and authenticity. But sometimes, “I don’t know” is the very worst thing you could say as a leader. Increasingly, leaders are being coached that “It’s okay to say ‘I don’t know’”. This is a largely positive trend and, in…
