“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” I’m sure you’ve heard that cliché before. There is simplicity in its truth. Yet somehow, many of us find implementing it elusive. It turns out, being yourself isn’t as easy as it sounds. In this article we will figure out why this is and what we can do about it. Discontentment I’d like to start out with a story. About six years ago, I was working for a different company. I was getting…
Many of us have been working remotely for nearly a year. I’ve written often over the past year on various stages of adaptation and adjustment. Once upon a time, we all thought this situation would be temporary. Now, a year hence, some real fatigue has set in. In this article, I’ll offer my personal reflection on video conference fatigue and what to do about it. Exhaustion Allow me to state the obvious: hours upon hours of video conferencing is exhausting….
As an organizational leader, I spend most of my time thinking about developing people and teams. It’s what I do. In this article, I’d like to tackle a myth that shapes how a lot of leaders think and behave. True or False: People should be well-rounded. Answer: False What answer did you get? Many think well-roundedness is both attainable and ideal. It is neither. Why do we think this way? For me, it’s my general educational upbringing. Just like many…
As leaders, we have a lot of expectations on us. We need to be clear communicators, skilled team builders, good at finances, and inspiring speakers. That’s a lot of expectations. For those that are new at leadership, it’s impossible to become excellent in all of these areas overnight. Developing leadership skills isn’t just about learning and practice. I’ve come to believe that there is a fundamental skill that precedes all of the higher-level skills. If you have this one skill,…
With Valentine’s Day coming up, many of us focus on celebrating the significant relationships in our lives. While a bit of stretch, I’m going to use this article to focus on the aspect of my job that I love the most: leading my team. That may seem incredibly obvious, since I’m in a leadership position, but I’ve come to believe that this passion isn’t as ubiquitous as you might think. “I wish you many employees” I don’t know the origin…
What is the shelf-life of an organizational design? In my experience, about two years or so. Wait longer than that, and just like a loaf of bread, your organizational design will get stiff and moldy. To some, that may seem aggressive. After all, reorganizations are very disruptive, and the benefits must outweigh the costs. I’ll defend my answer, but let’s first look at the big picture. What is the purpose of an organization? Organizations exist because we believe that together,…
In the marketplace of ideas, it’s not the best ideas that win, but the best communicated ideas that win. Looking back at my career, the big moments were often defined by big presentations. Presentations are powerful opportunities, yet few put in the work to make truly great presentations. We’re all busy, so it’s tempting to throw something together quickly or just wing it. That’s fine if isn’t particularly important, but when it counts, don’t squander the chance to make a…
I’ve seen the picture above or a variation of it used to make many points. Some use it as a warning that if you give too much of yourself you won’t survive the loss. I’ve also seen it used to describe a mentor that has many shortcomings but gives you the piece that you are missing. Finally, I’ve seen it used to describe a father’s sacrificial love for his son. Art has a way of communicating different things to different…
“Get out of your comfort zone.” How many times have you been given that advice? Probably a lot. I know I have. It’s good advice and I heed it often. In my personal and professional journey, I’ve learned that it’s not only good advice, but it’s a bit more dynamic than you might think. I’m going to use this article to develop the concept a bit. If we need to get out of our comfort zone, we need to define…
2020 is behind us. The world, of course, is still full of difficulty and challenge. This week has delivered a new round of terrible chaos. Yet, I choose to focus on the positive. While much has been taken, we’ve also been given much. One of those gifts many have been given is flexible remote work. It started off as work from home. Many of us left the office in a hurry, with the thought that we might soon return. Well,…