Confession time: I’ve always been sort of “meh” about business fables as a literary device. So it may seem strange to you that there is a photo of me with New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni (arguably the most successful author writing in this genre) here on my blog. Pat (as his team calls…
Character-based Leadership
The Path to Leadership—It’s Rarely What You Plan
What do a peace activist from Northern Ireland, a former sex trafficking victim, a Somalian parliamentarian and an Israeli teacher have in common? All are women who stepped forward to ignite astonishing change in their respective parts of the world. And, in their moment of choice to speak up, they had no formal leadership…
Approachable Leadership — Be a Beacon Not an Island
As a leader, how do you let your team know you are available to them? Sure, you’ve probably said (more times than you can count) “I’m here if you need me.” That’s a good start, but is there a way you could visually send that message? Mr. People Equation sent me a New York Times…
Creating Positive Ripples for Women in Leadership
About a month ago, I got an email from my colleague and fellow Character-Based Leader co-author Jane Perdue. She wrote, “It’s always rewarding to see deserving women and persons of color—past and present—receive recognition for their contributions and accomplishments during Black and Women’s History Months. Yet . . . Do you ever wonder what women,…
When Leaders Should Demand Extreme Excellence
Daniel Goleman, pioneering researcher of emotional intelligence, recently poked holes in the common leadership refrain of “excellence at all costs.” In the early 2000’s Goleman identified six leadership styles, one of which was the “Pacesetting” style, characterized as a leader who: Sets high standards for performance and models those standards him or herself Has a…