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How often are you sharing your mission, vision and values?  Once or twice a year? Perhaps quarterly? Maybe once a month?  When asked, most leaders respond that those who work for them know exactly what the mission, vision, and values of their organization are. However when put to the test, most don’t know them.  Why the discrepancy?  Many leaders share something once or twice and then assume everyone has got it when they don’t.  For this reason, repetition is a hallmark of successful leaders. Become comfortable with repeating yourself again and again and again and again.      Leaders who [...]

Inclusion is an important topic that has been on the minds of most leaders and organizations. One question I’ve been asked on multiple occasions is, how do I promote a culture of inclusion? This is a great question. Though there are many ways to promote it in an organization, below are a few ideas that can help. #1 Make Purpose Your Number One When leaders ensure the purpose of the company is clear and everyone on the team is committed to that purpose above all else, inclusion increases. With a strong organizational purpose, leaders in an organization are [...]

Few would argue that we are living in turbulent times. If there is anything I’ve been reminded of over the last 3 months, it is the importance of relationship-based leadership. Relationship-based leadership is characterized by a proactive approach to building relationships of trust with those you lead. It involves taking a genuine interest as well as involvement in the development and well-being of team members.   When things are crazy, this type of leadership trumps others because levels of hope and trust remain high while common distractions such as worry, fear, and stress are minimized. This leads to tasks [...]

When things slow down around the office, sometimes interesting conversations start-up. One recent discussion revolved around leadership traits. The question posed was, if leaders could only have two attributes, what would they need to be in order to have the most success. While there are a lot of admirable traits that could make the list, here are the two I’d want every time.  #1 Humility Being humble is a hallmark of some of the best leaders in history. Self-effacing leaders who appreciate  and recognize those around them build strong teams. When a leader is humble, it leads to [...]

Based on all that has transpired in our country over the last week, here are a few simple thoughts on how each of us can help heal our world and become better leaders and better people.   #1 Admit When We Are Wrong We all make mistakes, however learning to admit when we do is not always easy. When we are willing to say we messed up, it gives others permission to do the same. When we admit we are wrong it also opens the door to unity, understanding, forgiveness, and redemption. Admitting our mistakes can mend broken relationships.         [...]

How do you get those you lead to support a decision that has been made? Explain 'the why' behind it. Leaders make many decisions each day and their ability to get buy-in on those decisions is critical. When people understand 'the why', it gives them knowledge and helps them feel included. Additionally, most of us do not like to work in the dark. Instead we want to be well-informed. Finally, when 'the why' behind a decision is not clear, it is easy to make incorrect assumptions. This can lead to rumors and unnecessary workplace drama. If you’re struggling [...]

“I love it where I work!” How many of your team members would say this about your organization? The answer to this question is becoming more important than many realize. The coronavirus pandemic has done a lot to change our views on work and the world. One that is gaining traction is fewer and fewer people seem to be willing to work for a company that doesn’t value and appreciate their people. Unlike in days past, good talent is examining closely the culture of an organization before deciding to join. They want to know how they will be [...]

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, public tension around differing opinions on how to proceed are escalating. This is causing division at a time when unity should prevail. Why does this happen?  Though on a smaller scale, discord and infighting persist in many organizations across the world. Though employees are working toward common goals, differing opinions often fester and tear teams apart. This divisiveness leads to many unfortunate outcomes such as a loss of trust, poor performance, or even the complete dismantling of a team or organization.   It doesn’t have to be this way!    One of the best parts [...]

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 [...]