by Nate Regier, PhD Have you ever been in a situation where a simple conflict escalated into finger pointing and blaming? Have you ever given someone feedback and they got defensive? Have you ever left a conversation realizing that good intentions resulted in unintended consequences? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you…

by Maura Nevel Thomas As a leader or manager in your company, you have abundant responsibilities. But how much of your day do you spend actually doing your most significant work? How often are you interrupted by employees who want your input, approval, or direction to do their jobs? How often is your attention to…
by Michael Lee Stallard (Originally published at Connection Culture Group) When a big storm is forecast to come our way, Katie, my wife, starts to plan ahead, just in case we lose power: non-perishable food in the pantry (check), flashlights with working batteries (check), gas in the car (check), some cash on hand (check). She…
by Jan Rutherford A moral obligation. A responsibility. A requirement to perform a task. That’s how we define duty, and effective leaders make choices based on what they should do versus what they want to do. Forward-looking leaders feel duty-bound to serve the greater good, which often means an uncommon discipline for delayed gratification. I…
by Ryan Gottfredson, PhD What topics do most leadership development programs focus on? The short list surely includes interpersonal communication, general management skills, leadership styles, delegation, building effective teams, and motivation. In a recent study of 153 organizations that I conducted, I found that only 33% reported that they “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that their…
by Mike Myatt Plans are great, but as 2020 has reminded us, “Oh Oops” moments in life are inevitable. In fact, it’s precisely the moments when things don’t go according to plan that are the real litmus tests for leadership and business strategy. As Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until I hit…
by John Baldoni Virtual is not a synonym for invisible. What has changed in leadership? Not much I like to say, but of course there have been a few changes over the millennia. What it takes to lead is timeless. Leaders lead for the betterment of others. To do this they become a presence in…
In 1964 the first remote control for a TV was created. Sometime after that, the TV watching experience changed forever. The remote made it easier to watch and control the television. Quite possibly earlier this year you created a remote team. You may not have wanted one, but here you are. And while the…
Engagement is one of the most talked about terms in business today. Books are being written about it, speeches are being given extolling the virtues of it, and leaders are being asked to create it. Everyone is talking about engagement. But while everyone is talking, few are asking: what is engagement, anyway? Here’s my description: …
There are better ways to learn how to swim than being thrown into the deep end of the pool. That said, should you find yourself in the deep end, you’ll learn how to keep yourself afloat or, well…the alternative. Do you notice anything missing in this analogy? If the goal was to learn to swim,…
Who Owns Your Development? When you work on your own personal development does it just benefit you? Not at all. In fact, everybody wins when you take the time to work on your development. The organization. The team. Your boss. And of course, you. So, the next question is, who is responsible for your development?…