Dreading Mondays seems to be a favorite meme of office workers because for many people Monday symbolizes the end of the weekend (“fun”) and the beginning of work (“not so fun”). Our “down time” is enjoyable but most of us need to earn a living too. So when it’s time to get back to work, we need to…
What’s Your Leadership Legacy?
So I’m standing there, talking with a seventy-year-old man, who has recently retired from his career as a vice president overseeing hundreds of workers each day. His wife is undergoing cancer treatment and he lays this on me: “Jen, with Nancy’s illness, I’ve realized I was such a jerk as a boss. My people would…
5 Ways to Get Your Team to Speak Up
At a staff meeting Trina, a leader in an I.T. department, asks for a status update on a high-visibility project. There is a brief silence. Then Michael speaks up— “It’s behind schedule. I’m concerned that we’re not going to meet the beta test projections. What do you think?” Trina gives this some thought and counters…
Go On a Date with Your Dreams
Today I’m hosting a meet-up based on the book Dare, Dream, Do by Whitney Johnson. When I first heard about the book, I wasn’t all that excited about discussing “dreams”. I’m a busy wife/mother/daughter/friend who runs a full-time consulting business and also does volunteer work. Who has time to dream? Whitney’s book has opened my…
SmartBlog on Leadership – Can Your Team Say No?
Twice a month, Lead Change Group authors write a blog post on the SmartBlog on Leadership site. Today it’s my turn with a post called How to Get Your Team to Speak Up. It’s based on my observation that many team leaders create a culture where saying “no” is unacceptable, thereby causing their team…