Managing

Hire The Best.   That sounds kind of obvious, doesn’t it? But what do you do when the best candidate might be able to do parts of your own job better than you do? Or is an expensive resource who you might have to bring in uncomfortably close to your own level and salary? Doesn’t

I attended a leadership conference where the CEO invited the VP’s in the room to ask any and all questions, so we could “sweep them into the dustbin.”   Larry asked a challenging question, which the CEO fielded. Later, Larry asked another probing question. When he asked his 3rd question, the CEO jokingly said we

When one of your staff messes up, how you deal with it will speak volumes about your leadership to the entire group, not to mention others in your organization.   If you roundly criticize that person in anyone else’s presence, you will add a huge dose of embarrassment to the feedback you provide. While your

People follow leaders who are inspirational.   One of the best ways to inspire others is to accomplish difficult things. People are moved emotionally when they see courage in the face of daunting obstacles.  My sister is an example.   To experience what I’m talking about, please take 5 minutes to watch the video. It

To paraphrase something the Cheshire Cat said to Alice, “If you don’t have a goal, any path will lead you there.”   I would add to this, if you don’t have metrics, it will take a much longer time to get there.   Think about how this applies to achieving your goals and being seen

  It’s easy to ‘influence’ our subordinates and get them to follow. After all, we hold the purse strings, so they have a real incentive to follow, or at least to look like they are.   We’re tackling a more difficult challenge when we seek to influence peers and others who don’t have that same

Niche marketing is all about making your product a big fish in a small pond, so that everyone fishing there wants to catch it. Why not apply that to your own career objectives?   Many people seem to fear niche-ing. They are afraid that if they don’t present themselves as qualified for a wide range

Abraham Maslow said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”   This is especially true when it comes to your leadership style. Many managers approach every employee and every situation using the same approach – typically, a directive style. Sometimes that style may be

When I joined the Leadership Somerset program, we were all asked to name leaders.   Out came the obvious choices: Colin Powell, Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Alan Greenspan, and a host of other presidents, historical and political figures, business leaders, and role models, including the general category of “my parents”.   Then the facilitator asked,