Archive for September, 2010
Three Things Every Leadership Offsite Needs September 15 2010 2 responses
Between now and April of 2011, thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) of leadership teams around the world will be going “offsite” to review their progress, plan for the future and bond with each other. It’s that time of the year. The fourth and first quarters of the year is when the planning happens which I guess means that the work gets done in the second and third quarters.
I’m actually working with a couple of client organizations on the agendas for offsites that will happen this week and next. In twenty plus years of management work and leadership coaching, I’ve been in the room for a few really great offsites and a lot of really awful ones. Based on all of those hours of participation, observation and facilitation, I’ve developed some pretty strong points of view about what’s needed to create an effective and worthwhile leadership offsite.
Here, in my humble opinion, are three things that every leadership offsite agenda has to have:
Video Book Club: Good Boss, Bad Boss September 14 2010 no responses
This week’s Video Book Club installment features the new release from one of my favorite authors, bloggers and thinkers on leadership – Bob Sutton. Following up on the success of his previous book, The No Asshole Rule
It’s a great read with more tips, stories and advice than can be shared in the length of one video or blog post. That said, there is one big takeaway for me from the book which I think sums up most of what Bob is recommending. I share that in this week’s video.
What are your thoughts on what makes a good boss or a bad boss?
How to Coach a Boss Who Doesn’t Want to Be Coached September 13 2010 2 responses
Maybe you’ve heard this joke about leadership coaching:
Q: How many coaches does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Just one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.
Humor is always funnier when there’s an element of truth in it. Over the weekend, I received an email from a reader who knows where I’m coming from with my light bulb joke. His boss is the head of the organization and he’s the deputy. He was asking for any thoughts I had on solving the problem he describes here (He’s given me his permission to answer through the blog. I’ve changed some of the details to protect the innocent.):
“She is the type that (though she wouldn’t acknowledge it) believes the more information she has the more solid is her place in the organization. Information is power. Staff don’t trust her and she doesn’t trust staff.
I like my job and would happily stay here but find her to be my greatest challenge that I could normally overcome but can’t seem to get there. I know I have a choice and am actually looking for a change but I also know that this organization won’t get where it needs to be until our chief listens, understands, and commits to working on her leadership.”
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. It’s pretty clear that the boss doesn’t want or see any reason to change and certainly isn’t open to coaching. So what can you do in this kind of situation? As the deputy suggests, you always have the option of voting with your feet and finding another gig. But what can you do if you’re not ready to throw in the towel or the timing isn’t right to move on? What can you do if you want to try to influence things for the better?
Ah, that is the key word – influence. It all starts with putting yourself in the boss’s shoes. Here’s one way to do it that can help:
A Letter from Chile September 10 2010 no responses
Last week, I wrote a post on the lessons in leadership we’re receiving from the Chilean miners trapped in their copper mine. Thanks to the editors at SmartBrief on Leadership, the post received a lot of attention and generated a lot of thoughtful comments.
In addition to the comments, I received a moving email from Alan Cuthbert, a proud citizen of Chile. With his permission, I want to share that note with you today. For me, what Alan expressed in his email is a poignant reminder of how connected we all really are. It’s too easy these days to lose sight of that. In the case of the Chilean miners (with hopes and prayers for their safe rescue), the connection lifts up all of us.
Read Alan’s e-mail to see what I mean:
Ten Proven and Simple Ways to Pace Yourself September 8 2010 no responses
Here in the United States, the week following Labor Day tends to feel like the beginning of a new year. Kids are back in school, conferences and special events fill the schedule and the final push towards the end of the calendar year kicks into high gear in just about every organization. If you’re a leader, this is the time of year when you’re likely to start running even harder than you’ve already been. The danger is that you run flat out until you crash.
Based on 360 degree surveys my company has run for hundreds of coaching clients, that danger is real. Out of 72 next level leadership behaviors we’re tracking in the survey, the one that is consistently rated the lowest by colleagues of peers is:
If you’re like a lot of leaders, you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to take a break.” Well, actually, you do and you really can’t afford not to. Making a habit of taking mini-breaks throughout the day will increase your productivity and effectiveness by clearing your mind and renewing your body. Over the past four years, dozens of clients in our Next Level Leadership™ group coaching program have successfully taken on the challenge of pacing themselves so they show up at their best.
I’ve been keeping track of what they’ve been doing to create some mini-breaks and establish a more effective pace for themselves. Here’s their top 10 list of proven and simple ways to pace yourself:
Video Book Club: The Power of Pull September 7 2010 no responses
Happy end of summer everyone. Probably like a lot of you, I spent some time in August catching up on my reading. So, I’m back with the Video Book Club series and this week’s installment features The Power of Pull
If you’ve been trying to figure out what it takes to lead and thrive in the information economy, you need to take a look at this book. Backed by a lot of research and some interesting case studies, the authors offer a wealth of provocative ideas on how to operate in the age of the internet. They also have a real gift for simplifying complex concepts with short, memorable phrases.
I talk about three of those phrases that landed with me in the video.
In Praise of What You Can Do September 3 2010 one response
Most people who know my wife, Diane, find her to be rather amazing. And, no, I’m not just saying that because I’m her husband. People tell me on a regular basis without any prompting from me that they find her amazing. This has gone on for years, but the latest reason why is Diane and her blog on cooking gluten and dairy free. She started the blog a couple of years ago when she learned from her doctor that food intolerances were the source of a host of health hassles that she had experienced for years. I remember when she came home from the doctor’s office with a blood test report that listed all of the foods she was intolerant to. It was basically everything she loved the most including chocolate. Diane had a meltdown for about 20 minutes and then got a notebook out and started writing down all the foods she could eat. It was a pretty long list and was more or less the genesis of the blog that has gone from zero to 16,000 monthly page views in two years.
I was reminded of Diane (pretty easy to since I live with her), earlier this week when I read an article in the Dining section of the New York Times on Roger Ebert. If you’re one of the more mature (aka older) readers of this blog, you likely remember him as the second half of the Siskel and Ebert at the Movies show that used to run on TV. These days, he’s writing a very successful blog and is releasing a cookbook on recipes for the rice cooker called The Pot and How to Use It
He can’t eat. He can’t talk. He can cook. He can write. He just published a cookbook. He shares his thoughts with the world on his blog. He does what he can do. Shouldn’t we all?
A few months ago, Diane gave me a little paperweight with a quote from Winston Churchill. It says, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Rock on, Diane. Rock on, Roger. Rock on, reader. Keep going. Do what you can do.
What We Can Learn About Leadership from the Chilean Miners September 1 2010 19 responses
Some days it seems like you have to look long and hard to find examples of inspirational leadership lessons in the news. Today was not one of those days. If you haven’t already done so, you must read the front page article by Alexei Barrionuevo in the New York Times on how the 33 Chilean miners trapped in the copper mine have organized themselves to survive. In an era where lots of people claim to be leaders but don’t deliver, here is a whole group of leaders doing what needs to be done to facilitate their own rescue.
You’ve probably heard the story by now, but, in case you haven’t, here’s the quick recap. The miners were trapped in a collapse a month ago. They were presumed dead for 17 days until rescue crews on the surface pulled back a drilling tube to find a plastic bag with a note in it that said, “We are fine in the refuge, the 33.” Since then, rescuers have been able to send necessities and communicate with the miners through a very small shaft running into the half mile deep space. The miners know that it will be between two and four months before they can be dug out.
What they’ve done for themselves since the collapse has been both simple and astounding. Simple because it makes so much sense. Astounding because of the grace and discipline they’ve shown under pressure. Through multiple acts of leadership they have organized themselves to take care of their bodies, minds and spirits. The way they’ve done it is instructive and humbling for all of us leading in much less challenging situations.
Here’s some of what we can learn from the miners:
Scott Eblin is an executive coach, speaker and author of 
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