Criticism is an unavoidable consequence of success. No one escapes it. Presidents are criticized. Even mother Theresa was criticized. Harsh criticism takes the wind out of our sails. It sometimes makes us want to give up. Sometimes, it leaves us with doubts that hobble us for days or even decades. Even constructive criticism can keepRead… Read more »
By the time, we’ve gotten to the Fifth Gate in the Leadership Pipeline, we should have spent some quality time mastering the previous four. This gate is punctuated by enormous complexity and significant (perhaps the most significant of all the gates) changes in thinking. The Business Manager needs to come to terms with being highlyRead… Read more »
Government and Frustration go together like “F” and “G” in the alphabet. They are inseparable. Although this relationship is often blamed for crushing morale, high blood pressure, and attrition; it can be (and has been) transformed into fuel for action. In the right hands, frustration can be a powerful ally. Frustration with government is oftenRead… Read more »
“Dave, you’re going to want to see this.” C.P. handed me a single white piece of paper. On it were three short paragraphs. No signature. “What’s this?” I asked. “It’s not good.” said C.P. Less than a minute later, I handed it back to C.P. “I’m not worried about it. There’s no credibility in thisRead… Read more »
Managers who manage managers have hopefully learned the skills necessary to manage themselves, to manage others, and to manager managers. They’ve picked up skill sets in coaching, setting and communicating clear goals, listening, monitoring, rewarding, empowering subordinates and others. Once they’ve mastered these basics, they may be ready to move on to managing a function.Read… Read more »
Someone is in trouble and the clock is ticking. That’s why they called you. You don’t know what’s going on yet, but you know that people are counting on you to make things better. Sirens wail, lights are swirling around you, and the crack of the dispatcher’s voice from the radio say: “Roger Medic One.Read… Read more »
Taking on a team of first line managers is a challenging transition in the leadership pipeline – although, according to Charan, Drotter and Noel, it doesn’t get a lot of attention. If you’ve been making the natural progression from managing Self to managing Others to managing Managers, then you’ve been making quite a few adjustmentsRead… Read more »
I watched a young boy build a sand castle on the beach. His labor was intense. He scurried around it with the energy of an eight year old, scrutinized every angle with the precision of an engineer, and when he was done – jumped into a marketing campaign that would put the best firms toRead… Read more »
Congratulations! You’ve done well. Your performance has been exemplary and we would like to offer you a promotion. Go do great things! We know you can do it! You’ve gotten your first management assignment! Congratulations! Taking on that first management assignment is scary and exciting. You tell your friends and family. You wonder what theRead… Read more »
A learning curve is a natural part of just about everything we do. Learning to walk, children stumble and sometimes break things. Learning to play an instrument, we often miss a note. Learning to lead people has a learning curve too. It takes time, patience (from everyone involved), and practice. Lot’s of practice! There isRead… Read more »