Recently, one of my clients told me, “you listen fast,” I was stopped in my tracks and wasn’t sure what he meant. Many of us feel we don’t have the time to listen, especially these days with so much noise, distractions and competing priorities. Time feels squeezed more than ever. There is something about the word “listen” that implies you are ... [Read more]
Go Slow to Go Fast In The Age of Speed and Microwaved Cycles of Change
Speed seems to be the mandate these days. Yet "go slow to go fast" is a key phrase to keep in mind when focusing on productivity and managing personal energy. It's all about perspective. We live in an age of hyper connectivity with soundbites that compete for our attention at a deafening roar. The walls of our organizations are more porous than ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: With Strategy, The Key Word is We
This week’s reflection question was: It’s great to have a strategy but the bigger question is, now what? How do we make it come to life? I noticed I framed this questions differently than previous weeks. Instead of asking “you," I asked “we.” When setting and executing on strategy, this is a key word. No one has all the information on what is ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: Decrease Assumptions With Your Pilot Checklist
This week’s reflection questions: Where can you be more curious in your work? Where do you need to go back to basics to uncover what is really going on? How does this serve you in being the expert? This week I gave a presentation to a mix group of small business owners and organizational leaders from for-profit and non-profit organizations. What ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: Behavior Matters
Monday’s reflection questions were: What do you value? What makes you happy? What factors enable you to be most productive? Here is what I noticed in myself and others this week: We can say we value something but our behavior shows what we really value. What we do tells others what is important to us. Look at your calendar and you’ll discover what ... [Read more]
Leadership, Trauma and the Capacity to Stay Present Amidst Tragedy
What the President secretly did at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Wow. This made me sob. Thank you Joshua Dubois for giving us a peek into the character of President Obama. I don't care what anyone thinks of his politics – for or against - Doing a good job or not. This man is an amazing human being - To have the strength, authenticity, ... [Read more]
Magic Monday: Leadership & Trauma
Words of Manic Monday by The Bangles and modified by Susan Shaner. Musician: Dan Brodax. Where can you find the magic at work today? Today is the third anniversary of Sandy Hook. I am particularly aware of this since I live 15 minutes from the school. When traumas of this nature strike, we are effected on all levels. In the case of Sandy Hook, it ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: How Do You Stay Dialed In?
Listen to Post Monday I asked you to reflect on where you can more closely align your passion with your leadership or how you can unleash other people’s passion and leadership. How do you say dialed into passion? Here is what I noticed: While passion is an emotion, it starts and ends with the mind. Many of us have the tape running in our head ... [Read more]
Humble Listening #3 – WHEN to Listen Humbly?
So we’ve discussed WHAT listening humbly IS and HOW to do it in posts earlier this week. Now, let’s talk about times WHEN it is needed. Well, the short answer is: ALL the time. When is it NOT helpful? AND, here are a few key times: 1. When you have to influence a colleague or key constituent. To do so, you need to focus on the whats and ... [Read more]
Humble Listening #2 – Operator’s Manual on HOW to Listen Humbly
Building on yesterday’s post, here is an Operator’s Manual on HOW to listen humbly: 1. Check your ego at the door. It’s more important that your colleague thinks what a great listener you are, then how smart you are. 2. Get curious. Wonder. Inquire. 3. Seek to understand – from THEIR point of view. 4. Stop. Be quiet. Allow them to respond. Sit ... [Read more]
Humble Listening #1 – A Key Leadership Competency
I agree with GE's Jeff Immelt that Humble Listening is a key competency for leading today. In an HBR article, Ram Charan points out that listening is a discipline. This implies it requires a level of rigor and sustained practice over time: keeping the intent to practice at the forefront of your mind, doing it, and proactively seeking feedback and ... [Read more]