When my daughter was in elementary school I chaperoned a group of second-graders on a field trip to the ArtPrize exhibition in downtown Grand Rapids. Picture this: ten 8-year-olds, excitedly dashing around parks and gardens, in and out of exhibition buildings. They were so excited to experience the art displayed throughout our city. Naturally, their…
Want Great Ideas from a Team? Flip the Script
When you lead a team, great ideas are the lifeblood of innovation and productivity. Let’s say you have an idea that you’d like to toss out to your team. How can you get the folks to speak up and help you discern the idea’s viability? Nobody wants to waste time on a stinker of an…
Effective Meeting Leaders Set the Right Expectations
People hate meetings. This is not earth-shattering news. Many of the complaints are legit: meetings are unfocused, too long, or unnecessary. Some of the complaints are humorous (but still true.) One of the lesser-mentioned reasons that merits consideration is meeting purpose. People get frustrated with meetings because they are unclear about expectations surrounding the reason…
How Shutting Up Can Make You a Thought Leader
Who do you consider to be influential thought-leaders in your organization? Is it the talkative people who contribute incessantly? No, these non-stop talkers probably don’t have your deep respect. More likely, it’s those who temper their talking and have a give-and-take approach to interpersonal communication. Those who can “read the room” and adjust when to…
Leadership and Being a Role Model – 20 Ideas
Humanitarian and Nobel Prize-winning physician Albert Schweitzer famously observed, “Example is leadership.” At some point in our life, a leadership opportunity appears. Many of us are parents, teachers, coaches, managers and committee leaders. As such, we know that being a role model is an important part of leadership. But it’s not always easy. There are…