Last week I was with a group of really smart people. They have given most of their life to developing their craft to serve others. They spent a considerable amount of time talking about why some junior colleagues were struggling. One leader made this observation.“The folks who are struggling don’t have a clear identity. They... Continue Reading →
You can’t make old friends
As you consider what you will pursue this year - I recommend pursuing people. For many years Nicole and I have done something that will sound wildly offensive. We sit down and (separately) make a list of what we call our A friends, B friends, and C friends. Here’s why. About ten years ago we... Continue Reading →
One clear option
Our neighbor is a business coach. This week he told me some advice he got from his business coach. ‘If you have multiple options, more than likely you need to stay put. It’s only time to move forward when you have one clear option.’ Here's why I love this advice. I hear too many leaders... Continue Reading →
Unaccountable cost
I'm a wimp. All too regularly I choose my own comfort over someone else's development. I won't pick up the phone to give them feedback, help them improve, or be a kind mirror. Failing to hold teammates accountable has a cost. They don't improve. Our integrity dampens. And, everybody else suffers. When we don’t deal... Continue Reading →
Sacrificing Integrity for Ability
There are at least two kinds of trust in the workplace. I trust your integrity to maintain consistency between what you say and do. I trust your ability to get things done and get it right. Inevitably though, we don't always get things right. Faced with our misstep, we can cover it up or own... Continue Reading →
Lead the way with rest
Leaders: we should model the way with how we take a break. Too often, we don't. Here's why: We confuse giving our most with giving our best. We'll never see our best if we never take a break. We think rest is the reward for giving our all, or the recovery when we've over-exerted. Rest... Continue Reading →
Better Questions
I'd like to get better at asking better questions. Bad questions do this: Make us feel stupid (trying to guess at the right answer)Make you look stupid (they seem rhetorical, obvious, or overly theoretical) Great questions do this: Help us discover something new about othersHelp us discover something new about ourselves I've invited a few... Continue Reading →
How to make imperfect decisions
There are very few perfect decisions. Every decision has costs, downsides, and unknowns. Buying a house is an apt example for understanding this dynamic. After all, there is no perfect house. If there was, you couldn't afford it. "It's perfect!" House shopping is the process of prioritizing your preferences. Experienced home-buyers make separate lists of... Continue Reading →
No bandaids
Caring about people means we hurt when they hurt. It doesn’t always mean we prevent them from hurting. Rescuing someone from short-term pain may actually extend their long-term pain. If we believe it's our job to keep them pain-free, we'll both be disappointed. Removing challenge from your team member only fragalizes them to future challenge.... Continue Reading →
The most common conversation I had in 2021
I had many interesting conversations in 2021. I believe the most common one was: what should I do with my life? People are wrestling with this. They’re wondering if they should stay home.If they should leave their job.If they could start their own company.Where they want to invest their next weekend, and next decade. Very... Continue Reading →