Being in the business of leadership development, I frequently encounter individuals who believe that they know everything about a topic. This assumption of “I’m right, and you’re wrong,” has such a limiting effect on a person’s ability to learn or even consider other viewpoints that it is well worth our reflection.
Being in the business of leadership development, I frequently encounter individuals who believe that they know everything about a topic. This assumption of “I’m right, and you’re wrong,” has such a limiting effect on a person’s ability to learn or even consider other viewpoints that it is well worth our reflection.
Over the past year I have been involved with a number of change initiatives that companies are implementing to improve their business practices and competitive advantage. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how Leaders could successfully impact change within their organisations.
Over the past year I have been involved with a number of change initiatives that companies are implementing to improve their business practices and competitive advantage. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how Leaders could successfully impact change within their organisations.
Over the past year I have been involved with a number of change initiatives that companies are implementing to improve their business practices and competitive advantage. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how Leaders could successfully impact change within their organisations.
I was recently facilitating a group of executives from one of our clients discussing with them how to hold potentially difficult conversations. One of the Executives asked me, “With all that we already have to do, is this really all that important?” I walked to the whiteboard and drew a picture with the word “Leader” written vertically on the right, then I listed words like productivity, profitability, accountability, retention, job satisfaction, personal engagement, customer satisfaction, culture change, motivation, collaboration, and innovation in a column on the left.
We’ve been taught that if we want more — money, achievement, vitality, joy, peace of mind — we need to do more, to add more to our ever-growing to-do list. But what if we’ve been taught wrong? What if the answer to getting more of what we want isn’t addition at all, but subtraction?
A colleague and I were recently meeting with a CEO and his leadership team, observing them as they discussed how to improve their annual planning process. As the team of ten explored their current process, the conversation got heated. The team had been talking for 45 minutes, but it wasn’t clear who was leading the discussion or what their objectives were. Many comments were off-topic, and they were not getting closer to answers.
here’s a scene in the movie Braveheart where William Wallace played by Mel Gibson stands in front of his men before battle. One of the men yells out that he isn’t as tall as the legend had it, at this William Wallace replies, “and nor do I fire thunderbolts from my asshole”.