Strategies for Business Leaders
Practical, actionable, with a hint of inspiration. Every week in your inbox.
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Readiness
Is not the same as being prepared. Or knowing what lies ahead. It is not the absence of fear. Rather, it is simply the place…
Trusted Advisor or Executive Coach?
If you’re a CEO or division president, you likely need a sounding board, confidante, and devil’s advocate. The phrase “lonely at the top” might describe…
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The Most Influential Type of Influence
After landing in Ithaca last week, I was greeted by my best friend who invited me to go straight to dinner. And in that moment,…
Preparing for Promotion
Strategic prioritization is one of the key domains that I address with coaching clients, particularly if they’re moving into elevated leadership roles. A few questions:…
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You Can Do Without a Great EA
But it’s not a great idea. One of the first things that I look at when working with a leader who’s been elevated into a…
When You’re Using the Wrong Hammer
Training can do a lot of things. It can convey cultural messaging and expectations. It can illustrate concepts, outline principles. Provide information. Reinforce standards. But…
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Mediocre or Magnificent?
An elderly widow. Several CEOs. A writer. Head of an avalanche mitigation team. Government officials. I spoke to many different kinds of leaders for The…
Great Expectations
Are you communicating them? Clearly? Are you meeting them? Consistently? My next openings are in late July. For more on working with me directly…
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Who Gets Coaching?
Your best and your brightest, the leaders with the greatest potential. Develop those people, and there will be a giant ripple out effect from that…
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If You Want Success, Deconstruct It
I like to say that no one cheers for my clients more than I do. When someone has a success, something they’ve been stretching and…
Sushi Bar
It’s evening and I’m looking over the last of the sushi at a high-end grocery store. It doesn’t look great. The employee behind the counter…
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Mile 22
Is supposed to be the worst mile of a marathon. Runners report hitting a wall, with very little physical reserve left. Even though there are…
Impact
Impact is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. A few questions: What does impact mean to you? How do you define it? Where…
There is No Time Like the Present
That’s true. In business and in life. But the questions are: For what? And with whom? For more on Magnificent Leadership® and working with…
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The Upside of Infighting
Self-Correcting Teams™, those that go beyond high performance to exemplary performance, can have considerable disagreement, debate, and dissent without doing damage to the team. Which…
Want to Know the Strength of Your Team? Take a Vacation.
Two of my clients, at a very busy time of year, are taking vacations. They’re in different industries, but both oversee large, critical initiatives. One…
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Do You Trust Your Colleagues?
Or, put another way, do you have colleagues whom you can trust? Those you can seek out at critical junctures when you need carefully considered…
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Falling Asleep in the Dentist’s Chair
Last week I had the experience that not many of us look forward to: a dental visit that required drilling and filling. Except. I found…
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Three Different Conversations, Same Common Denominator
Last week, I had three different client conversations that shared a common theme: people challenges. The open positions that required better and faster magnetization of…
The Three-Legged Stool of Career Transition
About 20% of the work that I do is with executives who are at a career crossroads, asking questions about staying or going. Or, if…
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The Downside of Being on the Inside
There are many advantages to being up close. You’re there to build relationships with customers and clients. They call you first when there’s a problem. …
The 3 Spheres of Leadership Influence
Influence of Others: The 3-5 people above you that you need to be visible to. Managing up. Managing your reports and building a Self-Correcting Team™.…
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The Surprising Ingredient of Leadership Ascension
Many of my clients prepare for elevated leadership roles in our work together. Although we focus on a number of things, from where to build…
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Choreographing for Performance
Last weekend I had the incredibly joyful experience of watching my best friend’s daughter perform in a dance competition in New York City. It was…
Are you elevating your leadership as your business grows?