"I've got an opening on my team; do you know of anyone?" How often have you initiated this conversation or been a part of it recently? It's been months since you have done any workforce and succession planning, and unfortunately, it looks like it will be several more months before you get another chance. Work is just too busy. Most leaders struggle to find and develop the ready-now talent they need. But should leaders even bother spending time trying to develop employees and plan for the future, given the turbulence in the labor market and uncertainty in the world? Workforce challenges are not ..read more

One of the greatest leadership challenges during organizational change is making the invisible visible. Many leaders underestimate this. They focus on flawless execution. To remain competitive, companies must avoid costly mistakes. But emphasizing implementation without creating a sense of urgency can create change resistance and confusion, causing people to give up before they start. These leaders underestimate the organizational inertia needed to achieve big results. Any organization can move forward with small incremental changes, but building for the future in today's rapidly evolving envi ..read more

Periods of excessive stress can have consequences as severe as heart disease. Not just individual well-being and happiness suffer when mental health suffers. The well-documented business impact of a stressed-out workforce is significant. In a recent global study of 14,800 knowledge workers, 49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers struggled with anxiety. Research by Gallup suggests that employees reporting poor mental health are less productive and five times more likely to miss work than those reporting good mental health. Being able to de-stress unlocks improved performance, joy, and health. S ..read more

Calling yourself a leader is easy. It’s leading in ways that others feel included, are able to take risks, and provide critical feedback without fear that it is hard. A recent McKinsey global survey makes this truth glaringly obvious. Researchers found that most leaders believe their workplace is psychologically safe. However, only 43% of employees indicate a positive team climate at work, only 30% see a reason to say something when they see something is wrong, and only 30% believe their opinion counts. Some leaders are more prepared to accept this reality than others. In a fast-paced digital ..read more

It is easy for a leader to kill motivation and respect within a team. A lack of attention or emotional connection and you are perceived as being aloof. Too much attention in the day-to-day, and the team feels a loss of autonomy and control. Research suggests that mismatched management reduces morale, trust, and productivity and increases employee turnover. Partnering for performance is one way to develop self-reliant achievers and avoid micro-managing your team. It is a high ROI investment into your success and business growth. Here are three keys to effectively partnering for performance. Wha ..read more

Self-awareness is fundamental to getting more out of life and work. Evidence suggests it's a predictor of leader and company success. That goes for life too. Leadership creates dilemmas between right and right. Consider the often-competing responsibilities between your well-being, family, friends, and work. It doesn't stop there. It can be a struggle to keep track of your responsibilities. It is helpful to understand that the quality of your life is defined by the quality of the routine practices performed automatically in daily life. It is easy to get the need for better habits in theory, but ..read more

Have you ever overestimated your ability to get a project done? I have. I've committed to projects and timelines, later wondering how I could be so off in the first place. It has taken me more than a few years to realize that my point of view is not always the best. A large study by Korn-Ferry found that poor-performing businesses have 20% more leaders with blind spots as compared to high-performing businesses. As a leader, a lack of self-awareness is hazardous to you, your team, and your business. Receiving feedback is the most effective way to gain awareness of your strengths, weaknesses, an ..read more

I inherently trust most people. I also can quickly distrust people. Why? For the same reasons as everyone else, to avoid something bad. Deciding whether to trust or not is always important. Putting faith in the wrong someone or something can lead to big life and career mistakes. Increasingly leaders face overcoming inherent distrust and a rise in workforce polarization. A recent large-scale global trust study found that less than one in three people would help those with whom they disagree. And only 20% are willing to have someone they disagree with as a co-worker. Being trustworthy is a life ..read more

I had just started a new position in Lincoln, Nebraska. We left family back in Illinois, and a significant snowstorm was heading our way across the Great Plains. It dumped almost a foot of fresh snow on our house, and I was out of town for work. My wife was stranded with a new baby and a three-year-old. Without knowing it, my leader called my wife to ensure she was OK. He offered to go to the store and pick up groceries for her in his four-wheel-drive truck. This took place over twenty years ago, and I still get emotional thinking about this act of selfless love by my leader. Evidence suggests ..read more

Tell me you've had this experience. You assign someone a project, and when questioned, your first response is a cop-out version of "because I said so." I know I have. As a leader, I am not a micromanager. But when working with a tight timeline and a lot of pressure to deliver results, I must be intentional about slowing down to listen and not relying on policies or positional power if questioned. Leadership is about influencing others toward a shared goal, not coercion. Evidence suggests that frequently using positional power comes with hidden costs for the leader and the business. But the ide ..read more