In the new book The Disciplined Leader, John Manning writes about the importance of focus—and how it drives leadership success. After reading the book, I had the opportunity to ask John some follow up questions. What follows is an edited version of our conversation. Jen: In the book’s introduction, you write that leaders must learn…
16 Discussion Questions to Help You Lead Better Meetings
Does leading meetings frustrate you? Maybe you have someone in your meeting who has ideas— lots of them—who can’t seem to shut up. Or perhaps it’s the opposite issue: meeting participants are shutting down good discussion in the interest of “keeping things moving.” If either of the scenarios sounds familiar, then you will want to…
52 Messages for Becoming a Disciplined Leader
As a leader, are you committed to “relentless self-control and positive work habits?” In the book The Disciplined Leader, author John Manning makes the case for discipline, writing that effective leaders employ “consistent application of certain mindsets and actions that are vital for [their] success.” Yet, as Manning found when he began conducting research for…
Even Good Leaders Lose Against a Bad System
“The other day I had a revelation at work.” That’s my friend Sally, chatting with me at lunch. “Oh? How so?” That’s me, ever the inquisitor. Sally took a new job a few months ago and we were catching up on life. “Well, the VP of my division stopped me in the hall the other…
5 Reasons You’re Over-Thinking Your Leadership Decisions
How much time each week do you spend making decisions? Likely, many of the choices you make are almost automatic, requiring little thought: attend that meeting or not? Stay late to finish the report tonight, or come in early tomorrow? And then, there are more challenging choices, such as whether or not to terminate an…