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…
Communication
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…
From Mired to Inspired: Breaking Free of a Conversational Quagmire
Think about someone you lead who you don’t see eye-to-eye with. Do you seem to be having the same tired old conversation again and again? Do you think that if you could just somehow make your point in a way that’s more appealing, then surely this person will see your point of view? I’m reminded…