Amazing Mondays

I wish I could do more! Have you had this thought during the coronavirus pandemic?   Over the last few weeks, I have had more than one leader express this sentiment to me. One even went as far as suggesting he probably made a mistake in his choice of profession, feeling he should have been a doctor or a nurse instead.  While these thoughts are noble, it's important to remember that even though a leader may not be working to save the lives of those who have been infected by this virus, they are significantly impacting the lives of [...]

Communication has always been extremely important for effective leadership, however its significance has amped up even more during the coronavirus pandemic and virtual meetings. One vitally important communication practice leaders should use is cascade messaging. Cascade messaging is making sure messages from a meeting cascade or flow down to the many different layers in an organization in a timely, clear, and concise way.  During COVID-19, nailing this communication best practice has become an absolute necessity for leadership teams, yet many are still struggling to have good communication throughout their organization. Often the reason is because leaders do not [...]

Though it appears we still have a ways to go with the coronavirus pandemic, it might be wise to begin to contemplate what a new normal will look like post COVID-19.  Will you and your team go back to doing things the way you’ve always done them? Or can you take some things that you’ve learned or changed about how you operate and lead to help you become more successful in the future?  For many of us, our natural inclination will be to return to how things used to be prior to the crisis. We will seek to [...]

It’s time to start a rally cry. It’s time to decide what you and your team must focus on to help you survive and thrive through this unprecedented pandemic.  A rally cry is a simple unifying message that clearly defines what’s needed most right now. It is a call to action. It narrows focus and trumps everything else that has to be done. It aligns a team around an important cause.  Our world has even adopted a rally cry during this pandemic. Flatten the curve has called us to action and has motivated us to do many things [...]

It’s been a few weeks since our world got turned upside down with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that leaders and teams are settling into what feels like our new normal, at least for a little while, here are four reminders to help you successfully navigate these uncertain times.  #1 Show Who You Really Are This pandemic presents an opportunity for leaders to show who they really are and what they truly care about most. The people you lead will likely remember how you acted during this crisis for years to come. This doesn’t mean tough decisions won’t need [...]

For most of us, these are challenging times. During difficult days it’s important to remember they won’t last forever and things will get better. Tough times never last, but tough people do.  But what if you're not feeling tough enough right now? Here are two simple thoughts of encouragement:  #1 You are stronger and more resilient than you realize. Consider what you’ve been able to overcome in the past. Remember that you are able to do hard things.  #2 There is good that can come from every challenge. Sometimes we just need to search harder to find the [...]

Recent world events have turned our normal ways of doing business on its head. With so much uncertainty and chaos, what are leaders to do? As bad as things seem to be right now, these types of situations present an opportunity for leaders and companies to shine. Taking the right steps and focusing on the right things is critical. To effectively navigate these turbulent times, leaders should fully embrace The Four C’s Model. First, leaders and companies should strive to create as much clarity as possible. People (employees, customers, stakeholders) will want to know what the plan is, [...]

Establishing a healthy company culture is remarkably simple, but it isn’t always easy. It takes conscious daily effort, good strategies, and hard work. However, organizations dealing with problems arising from poor cultures isn’t easy either.   For example, creating the level of clarity needed within your organization to build a strong culture requires relentless repetition. Yet not doing it leads to an organization full of confusion and ambiguity, which causes a never ending road of difficulties and challenges.  Choose your hard.  Establishing the consistency needed for cultural strength requires a significant amount of discipline—discipline that often leaders or organizations [...]

A mission statement is an essential building block to developing a strong organizational culture. When a mission statement is well written, it can inspire a team and provide a unifying purpose.  Unfortunately, too many mission statements are poorly written and do little to help their organization. Below are three essential elements needed to create a mission statement that will have a big impact on your organization. #1 Answer the Critical Question First, the mission statement should clearly answer the question: why do people go to work each day at our organization? People need a clear purpose of why [...]