Are You Learning From Your Bad Decisions? 5 Questions to Ask.

“When you start wiping out your history, sanitizing your history
to make you feel better, it’s a bad thing.” – Condoleezza Rice

We do that in business and in leadership, don’t we? Rather than learn from our failures, our shortcomings and our bad decisions, we want to sanitize them, ignore them, gloss over them, and get past them as quickly as possible because – ouch! We don’t like the pain, the waiting, the embarrassment, or the bad memories. (more…)

In our typically hectic lives, consistency often seems like an admirable but unrealistic character trait. Sure, we grin at the endearing consistency of generations before us. My grandparents were of a generation that you could set your watch by! But in today’s world? Nah! Consistency simply isn’t realistic! Or is it? (more…)

We’ve all asked (aloud or silently) the same question about our boss, or the department vice president, or the CEO at one time or another: What is he/she thinking??!!

Well, the odds are the leader spent a good deal of time considering their options before making their decision. However, when you aren’t privy to your leader’s thought process and all the details and factors that go into a decision, some decisions can seem bewildering. And then there’s the unfortunate reality that even when a lot of thought goes into a decision, occasionally it still ends up being the wrong one…or so we think.

So, what do you do now? Here are recommendations for both leaders and teammates when decisions from the top just don’t make any sense. (more…)

You’ve heard the reasons before. We already bought the software. We’ve invested too much time. We’ve spent too much money to turn back now. The decision has been made.

How many times have you crammed a decision into implementation even when you know it’s not the best decision…simply because you made the decision? (more…)

Here’s a little secret your leader might not want to admit: He deals with doubt. No matter how confident he might seem on the outside, even the most self-assured leaders wrestle with doubt on the inside from time to time. Doubt is a natural characteristic in leadership – and that’s okay. I’d be cautious of any leader who had 100 percent faith in herself and her own abilities.

However, some leaders are plagued by doubt. They are paralyzed by fears and questions of, “What if?” They struggle in making decisions and giving direction. Doubtful leaders slow momentum and discourage their teams.

Do you allow your doubts to overcome you? Here are the most common reasons leaders wrestle with doubt: (more…)

There are few places riper for productive discussions, contentious debate, smart decisions as well as disastrous ones than around the boardroom table. In my experiences both as a participant and an observer in various boardroom discussions over the years, I’ve identified the five most common characteristics of successful meetings around the boardroom table. (more…)

You’ve probably seen an ad by Johnson and Johnson over the years with the slogan that “Having a baby changes everything.” When you have a child, everything does change – or at least it should. Your routines, your hobbies, your meals, your sleep schedules, heck even how you spend your money changes drastically! You change not because it’s convenient or easy but because it’s what’s best for the lives that have been entrusted to you. (more…)

The ancient Romans were masters of architecture, and according to Roman legend, they were also quite adept at taking ownership of their decisions as well. It has been said that when an arch was near completion in ancient Rome, the Roman engineer responsible for designing and overseeing the construction had to stand directly beneath the center of the arch as the capstone was put into place. His standing there symbolized – both figuratively and literally – his willingness to stand beneath the weight of his decisions. (more…)

If at any point in your lifetime you plan on being part of the workforce, know this: Your leader (or your leader’s leader) is going to make a decision that you disagree with. And you’re going to have to support it.

It’s that simple.
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Can we overpraise? Is there such a thing as building up our teammates too much? I believe so.

Leaders were never intended to be cheerleaders whose primary role is shouting affirmation and praise from the sidelines, even when the team is down by 30 points. (more…)