How Ready Is Your Workforce?

Feb 17, 2015 | Succession Planning

Just so we're clear right from the start with the title of this article, I'm not talking about what many human resources professionals refer to as 'Workforce Readiness' i.e., The 'readiness' of individuals to enter or re-enter the workforce productively and the subsequent training needed to help them acquire the necessary skills to become employable. What I'm talking about when I ask, you as a leader, How Ready is Your Workforce? is this: Is your current workforce ready to support, manage, and...

Stop Doing One Thing!

Dec 16, 2014 | Leadership Development

I've been reflecting on a recent conversation with a client. The conversation was similar to two previous conversations we've had concerning inaction by his managers. However, this time, without planning to say it, I simply said, "We've discussed this same problem three times now. When are you going to stop doing what your managers can and should be doing for themselves?" Needless to say, it got very quiet on his end of the phone for awhile. However, after about one minute of silence,...

Delegate Doesn’t Mean Abdicate

Dec 2, 2014 | Leadership Development

I am a huge proponent of delegating. I push my clients and audience members to develop their staffs by providing them with opportunities and challenges to help them learn, leverage their innate talents, and hone new skills. However, I am not a fan of leaders ignoring their responsibilities when they delegate tasks to others. That's abdicating. That's not delegating. Any manager who has attended a leadership workshop or read a book on supervision knows: Effective managers delegate....

Great Doers Don’t Necessarily Make Great Leaders

Sep 16, 2014 | Leadership Development, WBS

Many organizations and individuals get into trouble attempting Stage 2 Leadership when the time isn’t right. The problems arise because, more often than not, organizations promote the most technically proficient doers into supervisory, team leader, or management roles. However, a great doer, or Stage 1 Leader, doesn't necessarily make a great leader, or Stage 2 Leader. The skills needed to be an effective supervisor, team leader, or manager are vastly different than those needed to be a...

Leadership Ethics – The Golden Rule

Sep 2, 2014 | Leadership Development

Here’s an article pulled from the archives. It’s sad to say, but what I wrote in 2002 is still right on target – if not more so – today. “At this moment, America’s greatest economic need is higher ethical standards, enforced by strict laws and upheld by responsible business leaders,” (President) Bush said in a speech delivered to the Association for Better New York. “In the end, there is no capitalism without conscience, no wealth without character.” (July 9, 2002) Who ever thought the...