Leadership

Being a Good Follower

For all the hype (and there is alot of it) about leadership, too few people give voice to the one thing all leaders need. Followers. And if you want to really get good at leading – you had better lock down following first. I don’t care how cool your boss is, true followership is notRead… Read more »

Leadership: When the Horse Refuses to Drink

A few years ago I decided it was time to actually use my leadership skills, rather than just possess them. It was time to put my money where my mouth was. After much relfection, I realized that one of my strongest skills was as a “cheerleader” for whatever cause was at hand. Rallying the troops,Read… Read more »

Inspired Versus Required

A traveler saw two men cutting stone from a mountain and placing the blocks on carts. He asked them, “What are you doing?” One said, “Can’t you see? We’re cutting stones from this mountain.” The other man gave the traveler an understanding look and said, …”We’re building a church.” I am always screwing up; andRead… Read more »

The Honor in Bureaucracy

“It would be my honor.” I’m not sure when I first started saying that as an answer to requests, but it has become a sort of habit. Though I never say it if, in fact, I don’t mean it; meaning it has become the norm and not the exception because when people think of meRead… Read more »

The Public Technology Institute – GovLoop Project of the Week, May 6, 2009

Pardon The Interruption… for the PTI (Public Technology Institute)… Celebrating its 35th year of providing technology leadership, the PTI, lead by GovLoop member Dr. Alan Shark, is a not-for-profit, member supported organization. PTI is the only technology organization created by and for cities and counties. Its core network of local government officials work to identifyRead… Read more »

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss? – Gatekeepers in Gov 2.0

For as long as elected officials have had one set of ears to listen to thousands if not millions of constituents and interests, there have been gatekeepers – the legislative staffs and lobbyists. One of the goals we can gather from Government 2.0, e-Democracy – or ‘just the way things are these days’ as IRead… Read more »

Social media – To be or not to be…How to get management “to be”

Many public and private organizations are already using social media tools as part of their communications planning to advance their missions and reach target audiences. For organizations still relying primarily on traditional media to get their messages out, curiosity about how to incorporate social media tools are high. Facebook, Twitter, Wikis, YouTube, blogs, podcasts, forums,Read… Read more »

Citizens Pitching Ideas to Improve the Federal Workforce

The FedPitch 2009 competition will take place on May 7th during Public Service Recognition Week starting at 1:30pm in the main tent. The event, designed to involve citizens in helping to find new approaches to lead and manage the federal workforce, will be moderated by Tim Clark, the editor-in-chief of Government Executive magazine. During theRead… Read more »