Rallying your team when things seem hopeless
As managers, we need high-quality work from our employees. We challenge our teams for their best, while being mindful not to push them too hard. This means tuning-in to their emotional and mental health and moderating the intensity of their work accordingly. Even in...
What moments of crisis can teach you about authority and responsibility
Where does your authority come from as a leader? Why do people listen to you? Is it given to you based on your merits? Did you earn it through achievement? Unlikely. While achievement and merit pave the way for positions of authority, it isn’t the source of your...
Losing a great employee? Here’s your best chance at retaining them (and understanding why they’re leaving)
Exceptional leaders depend on great teams, and great teams are full of great people, which is why it’s so painful when one of your strong contributors decides to leave. This can be demoralizing and made worse if their departure catches you unprepared. Is it...
The key to getting unburied at work (and never letting it happen again)
“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we have is time.”Steve Jobs In a world of time-saving hacks - brushing your teeth in the shower, listening to podcasts during workouts, and eating dinner in front of the TV - why doesn’t the workday ever seem long...
How all new leaders can start off on the right foot with their team
Photo by nappy from Pexels What should new leaders prioritize when coming into a new job? My reflex has always been “everything,” a reaction to the stress of wanting to impress everyone when starting somewhere new. But “everything” isn’t in anyone’s core competency....
Just because you can make a decision, doesn’t mean you should (how good leaders make bad decisions)
Chess women's world champion, Ju Wenjun | Photo: Lewis Liu/FIDE Why do good leaders make bad decisions? Because they’re imperfect. Even the best decision-makers can show poor judgment and make bad calls. You’re often a victim of your own success. Success breeds...
The easiest (and most humane) way to fire someone
Everyone remembers the first employee they fired. An already miserable experience is made worse by having no idea what we were doing. When you see people fired in shows or hear the process described, it makes perfect sense, but when it’s staring you in the face it can...
Using compromise to get what you want (without meeting in the middle)
Being a leader means getting things done; making things happen by challenging norms and a willingness to disrupt the status quo. Unfortunately, this means getting accustomed to dealing with resistance. You've probably had the following interaction: You: “I’ve got this...
The best way to give meaningful feedback (that someone will actually listen to)
Giving feedback is challenging. That’s why so many managers avoid it. We’re afraid to say the wrong thing, so instead we say nothing. Unfortunately, this means problems fester and compound when a five-minute conversation could have made all the difference. There are...
Simple habits for keeping your team motivated
Management forums are full of leaders struggling with unmotivated employees. Most of us can relate, spending too many hours working with employees who are going through the motions. The best way to avoid this pain is to never let your team get unmotivated in the first...
Saying no (when it’s hard to say no)
Any of these sound familiar? “How do I say no without coming off as negative or defensive?” “I want to help, but I’m already behind on my key projects and I’m buried.” “I’m worried people are taking advantage of me, but I don’t want to be a jerk.” Compassionate...
Finding balance between being an employee champion and company loyalty
As a leader, you want to be a good advocate for your team. In a vacuum, this seems incredibly simple. Be empathetic, be compassionate - and the rest should come easy. In reality, being a good advocate means balancing your employees’ interests against other interests...
Coworkers ignoring your emails on key projects? Try this simple trick.
Most “knowledge work” involves coordinating with and working around other stakeholders. Group projects, complex initiatives, project management - all tasks that involve integrating with other like-minded and diligent professionals. Some of the best work is work done...
Making your “come to Jesus” talks more effective
Some employees just don’t get it. They're determined to do things the hard way. They miss deadlines, they don’t turn-in good work. Sometimes, they ignore your instruction altogether. Every leader has experience with employees...
Build a culture that stops employee conflicts before they happen
Drama between your employees sucks. It’s painful, bad for your culture, and virtually impossible to resolve in a way that makes everyone happy (though there are a few ways worth trying). Some of my worst experiences as a manager came from dealing with bickering...
How to lead others when you’re not in a position of authority
Leadership exists in several spectrums. As a leader, you might take the mantle naturally, easily commanding a room or a meeting. Or, you might prefer a more nuanced approach, quietly guiding and shaping from the back. The circumstances vary, dependant on subject...
Active listening is the most underrated leadership tool
Damian Lewis and Maggie Siff in BILLIONS No one needs to be told that listening is useful. Listening is easily the most underrated component of effective leadership, but it’s not always clear how to become a better listener or when to use listening as a management...
A consistent method for earning your team’s loyalty
One of the challenges of being a new leader is building loyalty and respect within your department. We all want to be popular amongst our employees, but aren’t exactly sure how to get there. It’s not the kind of thing you can just come out and ask for, and no one...