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Turning Potential Into Results
Lions and Tigers and Liars, Oh My!
We’ve been lying as long as we’ve had language. Research shows that a child’s ability to bend the truth is a developmental milestone, much like walking and talking. While our noses don’t grow like Pinocchio’s when we lie, research shows a person’s nose can “heat up” when they lie. Liars populate our literature (Gatsby; Lady…
Read MoreAccountability Knots
In Part 1 of this 3-part series, I offered a climbing analogy for leading yourself with your commitments, your “why’s”, and I promised to share the calls-and-responses between climber and belayer that exemplify support through accountability and how to translate them into team success. Read on! (That’s me in blue jacket, belaying niece Caity.) In…
Read MoreLearn to Interrupt (yourself, not others)
Before last month, if you would have asked me if I was a good listener, I would have quickly and assuredly said “Yes.” Now, my response is, “I’m learning to be a better one.” Why the change? I’ve been engaged in dialogues, the art of listening. Dialogue is the discipline of collective learning and inquiry.…
Read MoreThe Canary in Leadership’s No Man’s Land
Last week I learned I was wrong about something I was absolutely, bet-you-$100-sure about. In my 40 years of playing tennis, I was sure “No Man’s Land” on the tennis court was located just inside the baseline and extended through about half of the service box. It’s called “No Man’s Land” because if a player…
Read MoreCubicle Concussions
Remember connecting the dots as a kid and seeing the squirrel emerge? As kids, we had to move our crayon from 1 to 2 to 3 because we couldn’t imagine what the picture was going to be. With more experience, we could “see” the picture without drawing any line. It’s time to connect the dots…
Read MoreWhat Washington Politics can teach us about Office Politics
Both networking experts and relationship gurus tell us the same thing: If you want to develop a relationship that lasts, don’t begin it by discussing religion or politics. Why? The topics are too emotion-laden, too side-taking, too side-making, too divisive. This conventional wisdom advises us to steer clear of discussing either topic at work. It’s…
Read MoreLeaders Come From All Parts of the Orchard
People who want to be leaders often ask me: “Do I have the right personality to lead?” My answer: There’s no personality type that designates someone a leader. This doesn’t mean you ignore your personality, preferences and foibles. It means you become aware of them so you can lead yourself first, then others. To gain…
Read MoreStop Putting up with the Glare
Client story: An employee wanted to move to another workspace because the extreme glare on her desk made it hard for her to work. She was convinced that the glare was coming from a newly painted office building outside her window. To try and solve the problem herself, she put a row of plants on…
Read MoreGot complaints? Replace whines with action!
When a friend’s birthday approaches, I sort through my stash of cards for one that’s appropriate. For the last 6 years (OK, maybe 10), I’ve rejected the same 5 birthday cards. What I thought was funny when I bought them, isn’t funny anymore. The cards in the No pile include an old gal hiking up…
Read MoreOstrich-ize your Leadership
When someone’s ignoring what we think they ought to pay attention to, we chastise them with: “Don’t be an ostrich and stick your head in the sand!” Well, add one more thing to the list of the stuff we believe that isn’t true. This past summer, I visited the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch outside Red…
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