When my children were in elementary school, there was a situation in my household where one of my children fibbed to me prior to bedtime. The next day, after discovering the truth of the situation, I found myself ever-so-slightly less trusting of answers being given by that child. I was shocked at my hasty conclusion…
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Thank You. 4 Ways to Make Those Two Words Count
On a Mother’s Day many years ago, I received what remains one of the most delightful and meaningful Thank You notes ever. The sender was my son’s Little League coach, Coach Bob, who demonstrated a leadership quality that went beyond the baseball field. People appreciate being thanked. This is true whether you’re a Little League…
The Leader’s Guide to Knowing When to Keep Your Mouth Shut
A prominent 20th century scientist weighs in on the human condition, acknowledging both work and play in an equation. The added bonus of knowing when to keep one’s mouth shut is the twist that makes this “people equation” so clever. Call it “The Z Factor”— the art of zipping one’s lip. Knowing when to stay…
Leaders Help People Connect the Dots
It was a typical day for Pete, a division manager who oversees the work of 1200 employees for a large multinational enterprise. Like many others, the day was full of meetings, deadlines and urgent tasks, when one issue rose above the rest: rumors had surfaced that the company was planning on selling off one of…
The Ambiguity Factor in Leadership Communication
As a leader, have you planned for the Ambiguity Factor in your leadership communication plans? When it comes to communicating about change, there are oodles of reasons why the launch of a new system goes awry— competing values, unclear objectives, unrealistic deadlines, budget constraints and so on. From a social psychology standpoint, here’s another reason…