I’ve felt fortunate with my past couple of bosses, but I haven’t always been so lucky. In my career I’ve encountered some poor leaders, and I know many people who’ve worked for worse bosses than I have. These could be bosses who always take the credit when things go right and point the finger when it doesn’t. Or how about bosses who decide they just don’t like you on a personal level, so they try to force you out of the company? I’ve encountered passive-aggressive bosses, bosses who demean their employees, and bosses who flat-out lie. At some point in your career you will probably work for a less than ideal boss. What then? Continue reading
Be Bold. Be Successful.
Be bold. I’ve heard that a lot, but it’s always been ambiguous to me. We hear stories of people being bold, but they are so fantastical that they don’t always feel real or like something we can implement. Over the past week I have learned the importance of being bold. Being bold can change your life.
I had the typical hang-ups about putting myself out there. First, I hate rejection. It’s not that I can’t handle someone telling me no; I’m afraid of them taking it further: “How pretentious of you to ask!” “Why would I ever want to work with you?” “You have a funny hairstyle.” Okay, I’m not so worried about what people think of my hair. But I’m afraid that rejection will be personal. Continue reading
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How Do You Burn?
The snow has been falling here in Colorado. It’s been nice to be able to sit in front of the fireplace. I’m not sure why, but in our house, unless you start the fire right, smoke back drafts into the living room. I found if you get the logs placed correctly, jam tons of paper underneath, and light the paper, it will burn hot enough to displace the heavier cold air, and smoke doesn’t flow back into the room. I realized many of us can be classified into logs or paper in how we approach new ideas. Continue reading
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Sell Your “Why”
Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the “I have a dream” speech, not the “I have a plan” speech. He was inspiring. I had the opportunity to watch Simon Sinek’s discussion, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” The premise of his talk is that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Continue reading
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Managing Ambiguity
How are you at dealing with ambiguity? When you see a risk that might impact your project, but it’s tough to predict, how do you handle it? Do you respond well when you know a reorg is planned, but aren’t sure how all the work will still get completed? Ambiguity is a part of everyday life, whether in the workplace, in your personal business, or even your life in general. Things come up, and the picture isn’t clear. We aren’t sure what the impacts will be. Sometimes we aren’t even sure if the “thing” will even happen. Continue reading
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Overcome Resistance to Change
Taking a new leadership position can be exhilarating! We are full of innovative ideas. As an outsider to the group, we instantly see ways the department could improve. We often start making a list of all things we want to change, driven by the desire to make a positive impact! However, we forget a few key things. The department is made up of individuals, individuals who may not have your vision or perhaps don’t even think they need to change. If you want your vision to succeed, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when planning your execution. Continue reading
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What to Do before You Write a To-Do List
The new year often brings with it an onslaught of planning. We make plans for what we want to achieve within our companies, within our departments, and often in our lives. This usually takes the form of us listing everything we feel we need to achieve that year and assigning dates and sometimes detailed action-plans. Unfortunately, while we may gain short-term success from this activity, our long-term success could be serious stunted. Continue reading
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A Way Out
It was a school zone. Someone was driving recklessly. I’m not sure how it happened, but soon two cars had their windows rolled down. One man yelled, “It’s a school zone!” The other replied sarcastically, “Was the light on?” The other promptly informed him, “Yes, and there is a cop back there, you moron.” That did it! The reckless man spewed profanity and told the first guy to mind his own business as he drove off. Why do I tell this story? When we want someone to change their behavior, we have to leave them a way out. Continue reading
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5 Steps When Faced with a Saboteur
Why are we so resentful towards successful people? Residing within our culture is a sense of entitlement. We see successful people and think we deserve the same thing. As you move through life and further up the ladder of success, you will inevitably encounter people who aren’t happy for you. Worse, you may even encounter people who work against your success. What do you do when faced with this type of skullduggery? Continue reading
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5 Tips to Give a Better Review
It’s that time of year. A time many dread. Will I get a raise? Will I get laid off? What does my boss really think of me? As leaders we should be able to empathize with those we write reviews for. Most likely we have lingering doubts as our review approaches. If we don’t, that probably means our boss is doing some of the right things. Make sure you are doing them as well to help relieve your team’s anxiety. Continue reading
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