How to Manage Toxic People at Work
You know the kind. They’re the office bullies who “accuse, threaten, annoy, pester, shame, raise their voices, shake their fists and sometimes even get physically pushy.” Or they’re the tantrum throwers, the too-demanding bosses, the micromanagers, the passive aggressive co-workers or the underminers – the list goes on. If you’re dealing with a toxic person…
The Best Way to Listen
Listening skills benefit every aspect of our lives. For leaders, listening is essential to being effective – from execution to engendering followership. A few years ago, GE, a company renowned for building leaders, placed “humble listening” among the top four desirable characteristics in its leaders. Listening should be pretty easy. We spend most of our day…
Are You Pushing Your Team Hard Enough?
Leaders often struggle with the dance of when to apply pressure to teams to ensure great work, and conversely, when they should pull back in order to foster room for autonomy and growth. In an effort to strike this balance, leaders can give their teams – and themselves – whiplash. One minute the leader is…
Preparing for Your Next Chapter
As one year gives way to another, many people begin thinking about new directions. It’s a natural time to take stock, think expansively, and make commitments to something better. That doesn’t mean it’s comfortable. Recently, I had lunch with a friend who had sold her business. She was firmly stuck in the in-between, leaning toward…
Yes, People Still Want Authentic Leadership
The term authentic leadership is bandied about almost continuously in leadership development circles. If we consider the opposite – inauthentic leadership – then cultivating authenticity in those who control our fate seems like a very smart move. Yet even if we agree with the concept, there’s considerable hand wringing around what authenticity actually looks like in…
How to Keep an Open Mind
You’ve likely been told throughout your life to keep an open mind. Open-mindedness is equated with positivity and growth. It helps us to take risks, find opportunities, understand others, and manage uncertainty. We also see open-minded people as more generous and kind. Perhaps we need the constant reminders to be open minded because it’s such…
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