Insights: Leadership
Don’t Climb Alone
I recently wrote about an experience I had trekking in Nepal and how its lessons apply to leadership. Another powerful lesson came to me when I was sick, scared and alone in a remote village in the foothills of Mt. Everest. Ask for help The village of Namche Bazaar is one of the most unusual places I’ve […]
To Acheive a Big Goal, Look at Your Feet
In a previous post I talked about a lesson I learned from a slow-moving old man who passed me again and again in the hills of Nepal. At another point as I climbed higher, another lesson was waiting. One of my most memorable moments of trekking in Nepal was the day that I reached the […]
What An Old Man In Nepal Taught Me About Focus
Some years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend four weeks in Nepal, three of those weeks exploring the foothills of Mount Everest. Some memories from that time recently came into my mind, and I thought I would share a few. The power of steady focus. One of my vivid memories from Nepal is of […]
The One Universal Rule of Time Management
Most leaders wish they had more time. In this post, I share the one piece of “universal” advice I most frequently give executives to help them better manage their time and boost their productivity. Are you ready? Spend a few minutes each day planning your day, and spend an hour each week planning your week. […]
The Art of Receiving Feedback
Recently I wrote about the importance of giving feedback to your direct reports and others—openly, candidly and in a way that’s actionable for them. I think 50% of the feedback equation rests on the side of managers, who have to be willing and skilled in giving it. Today I want to share a few tips […]
Saving Your Job
Sometimes I coach leaders who are afraid they are at risk of being fired. They may have good evidence to support this. For example, they may have just been transferred to a different department or moved to a more junior position; or they may have gotten direct feedback from their boss, HR, or others that […]
Feedback: A Recipe for Improvement
I doubt most leaders fully understand the incredible power of giving feedback, or the suffering that can result from withholding it. I’m talking about situations where a manager has important concerns about a direct report’s performance and doesn’t share them–or doesn’t share them well. Leaders worry that giving tough feedback will hurt motivation, damage relationships, […]
Habits of the Mind
We all know there are simple things we can do to have a more healthy body, like eat well, rest and exercise. But it only dawned on me recently that there is an equivalent sort of hygiene for the mind. Here are three powerful “habits of the mind” that I believe contribute powerfully to long-term […]
Increasing Speed in Leadership
I was recently asked a broad question about how to increase speed when leading projects with incredibly smart, opinionated colleagues. While each of the steps below may seem to be things that would slow you down, in the big picture they will help you speed up your results: Relationships. Having coffee or lunch with the […]