In the military the acronym GOBI means General Officer Bright Idea and is a usually disparaging term for directed change. Equate General Office to the most senior executives in your company. They usually have many years of experience that leads them to believe that a new direction is a good idea, and they have the authority to direct that change. Often they are right, even though the rank and file in the company may initially disagree. Last month’s newsletter discussed leadership in change management and presented a way to implement change you did not agree with but was directed from somewher ..read more

What is the role of leadership in change management? Joe and Jane both led divisions of roughly equal size and responsibility in a large company. The company had recently directed several unpopular changes that were disruptive to both divisions. Joe was having a lot of trouble getting his team to implement the changes. Team members were openly rebellious and some were filing complaints and grievances. Jane’s division was also unhappy with the changes but was not openly rebellious. Although they were not in favor of the changes, her team worked to implement them as best they could. Why the sta ..read more

Warning! This article examines commonly accepted principles and you may find it disturbing. If you are unwilling to challenge current orthodoxy, or if you are easily offended, you may want to skip this one. I will not be offended, although I would question your ability to be a good leader. The concept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, DEI, has become a big player in the world of human relations and therefore, leadership. In my leadership development programs, some aspect of DEI usually comes up, even if it isn’t part of the curriculum. In general I find that these words tend to concern and ..read more

Warning: This post may not be politically correct or conform to the current expected narrative. If you are easily offended you may want to skip this one. In a recent leadership development class, a woman expressed frustration that, as a woman, her voice was not always heard or taken seriously. Another woman said that was even more true for a black woman. I’m old enough to remember times when this was a common occurrence, although more recently, women have risen to high levels in their organizations. But I know there are teams and companies where these prejudices still hold people back from fu ..read more

When I talk about trust in leadership development workshops, there are always some participants, often many participants who have stories about leaders who they just didn’t trust. That is not surprising but it is a little baffling. How can there be so much distrust in today’s oh-so-enlightened world? It doesn’t take any kind of AI to understand what causes this lack of trust in leaders. In fact, a team’s lack of trust in their leader is usually caused by some age-old actions by the leader. Leaders demonstrate a greater regard for their own future success than that of their team members. The t ..read more

There is a saying immortalized in the movie Apollo 13 that “Failure is not an option.” Truth is, in any project or operation, failure is always an option. Every. Single. Time. No one likes to fail, but it’s an inevitable part of life. I don’t know who originally said it, but it is true that the only people who have never failed are those who have never tried. So, what does it mean for a leader if failure is always an option? Start by defining what success and failure are. Then determine what effect failure might have. For instance, if you are working to develop a new product or process, then ..read more

Last month I explained that being a bad leader apparently requires at least some effort. In that vein, I provided some steps that would ensure you’re ineffective as a leader and, as a bonus, disliked and not respected by your team. Another leadership responsibility that can help you achieve status as a bad leader is change management. Here are some steps to help you drive your team crazy. 1. When change is directed from higher up in the organization, and you know the directed change will be a problem for your team, present it as the best idea you’ve ever heard. When a team member has a doubtf ..read more

Effective communication and collaboration between departments are vital for a successful business. However, breaking down barriers and fostering synergy can be tricky. From silos to differing priorities, navigating these challenges requires a thoughtful approach. In this article, courtesy of The Daedalus Group, we explore powerful strategies that can enhance interdepartmental communication and collaboration, paving the way for a stronger, more cohesive team. Meetings Matter In the quest for improved interdepartmental communication, one cannot underestimate the value of regular cross-departmen ..read more

What makes a good leader? There are countless books that claim to answer that question. In fact, by my rough estimate, if you laid all the leadership books end-to-end they would stretch for more than 35 miles. I’ve been fortunate to work for and with some very good leaders who taught me what good leadership really is. They also provided a stark contrast between their good leadership and other’s not so good leadership. Okay, let’s not sugar coat it. There are some pretty bad leaders roaming free in our world. Since I firmly believe that, given the right tools and training, being a good le ..read more

Many leaders are leading matrixed teams. Most if not all their team members are from other parts of the company and not in the leader’s reporting chain. Often this arrangement results in the team leader feeling they don’t have real leadership authority. Although it’s true that a matrixed team leader doesn’t have the same authority they would with direct reports, it doesn’t mean they can’t be successful. Here are some tips that will make matrixed team leadership easier. 1. Always be clear on the team’s mission and goals. Get with your boss and/or project sponsor to ensure you ar ..read more