Leadership Changes For 21st Century

There has been a tremendous amount of change in the area of leadership over the last twenty years.  We have moved from an industrial age to an information age to the present idea age. People in the industrial age were primarily paid for what they did.  In the information age Read more

Seven Leadership Insights From West Point

If you are going to be a great leader you will become a life long learner.  Daily, I get new insights into better ways of thinking or I am reminded of what I already know but need to practice more.  This post on Forbes was excellent in both areas: “What Read more

5 Keys in Setting Goals

All of us have experienced the frustration that comes from really wanting to accomplish something important and thinking we are really committed to it only to realize several months later it did not happen.  When I evaluate personally and professionally where the breakdown occurs it usually centers on the disciplines Read more

The 12 Elements Of Emotional Intelligence

It is absolutely impossible to effectively lead others if you first don’t have the ability to lead yourself.  Knowing yourself, both strengths and weaknesses, is a critical part of this process of being effective.  This post by Daniel Goldman is excellent and will help anyone who wants to improve: We Read more

The Power Of Listening To Resolve Conflict

Most of us are not very good listeners to begin with much less when conflict arises within the team.  We immediately start listening to respond instead of listening to understand.  If things get worse, then we will interrupt to try to transition the momentum back in our direction.  This HBR Read more

4 Commitments Leaders Must Make

One of the most successful executive coaches in the country is Marshall Goldsmith.  He wrote a great book that I would highly recommend What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. The simple thesis of the book  is your competency and skill set is what has got you to where Read more

The Chemistry Of Great Teams

I have probably learned more from Pat MacMillan on this subject than from any other writer.  His book The Performance Factor is still a must read if you want to fully understand all the dynamics involved in leading a successful team. When selecting team members you must have the right Read more

3 Must Do’s Before Termination

There may be nothing harder to do as a leader than make the decision to terminate an employee.  To be honest we feel to some degree we have failed and that is hard to accept. This is especially true if we hired the person in the first place.  Not only Read more