How to Avoid Crash Diet Leadership
I came across a great quote in one of my Leadership Promises daily devotionals from last week:
“Everyone is looking for a quick fix, but what they really need is fitness. People who look for fixes stop doing what’s right when pressure is relieved. People who pursue fitness do what they should no matter what the circumstances are.” – Kevin Myers
Confidence and competence: both are essential to our success as leaders. A person can be really good at what they do in part because they are so confident in their abilities and in their plan to move forward.
On the other hand, you can take a person who shares the same level of competence – they have the same skills and strengths – but they lack the confidence. This lack of confidence will limit what they accomplish. (more…)
Trust… it’s difficult to define and impossible to force. Building trust with others is the foundation of success. Trust glues marriages together, bonds friends for life, builds partnerships and connects business men and women. Trust between a leader and a follower impacts lives. (more…)
Getting “out of the weeds” is probably one of the most coached subjects I have with executives. It is when a leader gets too involved with the details of their business when they should be letting their employees do it. It is so tempting to get in the weeds. Why not? We built our business in the weeds, didn’t we?
I love chaos. Every business I’ve been associated with has grown during chaotic times. I remember accepting a job because the company had a mess. Over time we moved from messy to chaotic to a team with momentum. I realize that many people are uncomfortable with chaos, and like anything, if overdone chaos can turn into long-term confusion and disarray. However, even then it isn’t that chaos is bad; it’s that it hasn’t been managed or led. It’s like a spirited and rambunctious child who needs parenting.
Leaders gather momentum from chaos. They run with it, develop it, grow through it and assess teammates during it. Some of my best up and coming leaders got their chance to grow during times of chaos. Good leaders learn how to bridle and manage the process of chaos. Once tamed, chaos transitions into momentum.
So how can we discipline chaos without snuffing it out? (more…)
Are you a person of faith who’s trying to figure out how to bring God into your workplace in a more meaningful way? I thought I’d touch on this subject today because I’ve had a week full of wonderful business conversations that included spiritual dialog.
I’ve been a leader in both faith and non-faith based businesses and, for example, I’ve started meetings with prayer in both settings. While the corporate setting is more of a maze to work through (due to HR legal restrictions) it can be a more rewarding environment to show Christ because in the business world your spiritual health isn’t an expected talent that you must have to be successful.
So how do we, as business leaders who are faithful to Christ, balance business and God in our day work life? (more…)
“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
This month my husband and I celebrated 30 years of marriage! It’s a landmark that has so many lessons in it that I can’t possibly begin to blog about it. However, if I had to share what I’m most proud of in our 30 years together, I’d have to say it’s our perseverance. We’ve never ever thought about giving up. Sure there have been ups and downs. Every healthy relationship that extends beyond the surface has them.
Yet remarkably, it’s the difficult times that seem to have drawn us closer together. (more…)