How many leaders do you know who were promoted because they had all the answers? They've solved problems, delivered results, and demonstrated expertise. They became the expert widget-maker. And so they were promoted to lead the widget-makers. But what happens next to those expert widget-makers? Over time, their collection of experience and information quietly encouraged them to assume they already understood what was happening and how things would turn out. And those ass

We all know that AI can improve your performance. It helps you do tasks faster and more accurately, but there's a cost: your ability to recall the information you used AI for decreases. In a similar vein, recording a lecture makes it easier for you to quote the lecture later, but it doesn't help you retain the information shared in the lecture. Only taking notes will really help with that. Using a calculator gets your math done quickly and correctly, but erodes your numbe

When people talk about power at work, they usually mean one thing: Authority. It ends up being about your title or whether you get the final say. But that’s just one type of power. And honestly? It’s not the best one (in my opinion). Power isn’t a single thing you either have or don’t. It's not something you can even control, really. It’s a set of tools, and too many leaders are only relying on one. The Six Types of Power (Whether You Realize It or Not) Back in 1959, socia

Good leaders lead each team member differently, meeting them where they need to be met. Maybe George needs more coaching and Amelia needs more training. A good leader will see that and not try to treat them the same. But great leaders are able to meet their people differently on a task-by-task basis, giving them support where they excel, and training where they're learning. The trick is knowing your people well enough to know where they're excelling and where they're stuc

I'm sitting in a hotel room on a family vacation as I write this. My kids are in kids' camp, and my husband is waiting for me on the beach. I've avoided my computer successfully for five consecutive days, so I'll keep this short so I can get back outside! Time off isn’t just part of your benefits package; it's intended to give you a reset in multiple ways. It has measurable, research-backed benefits for performance, decision-making, and leadership effectiveness. And yet,

I've been seeing this a lot in the classrooms I've been in: a manager has a team member who is underperforming (for various reasons, in various ways) and they address it, but nothing changes. They address it again, maybe this time with some consequences (like "we'll have a more serious conversation about this if it continues"), and it continues. They have the serious conversation, and it still continues. Morale is starting to tank because the rest of the team sees them ge

I've been doing some strategic planning work (with some of my favorite people at Wildfire Strategies) for a pair of hospitals in NYC in the last few months, and in one of the hospitals, the CEO had already drafted his ten points of focus for the next few years. We saw two main ways forward: stick to his well-crafted ten points and lose the buy-in of the hospital, or go back to the drawing board and find a way to integrate his objectives into a greater strategy. We quickly c

Many moons ago, I was leading a learning and development team that was part of HR. Our jobs were to get up in front of a room full of skeptical people and share leadership, communication, or interpersonal skills, and so, in my mind, we had to look the part. For as long as I had led them, my team had dressed fairly conservatively (for our industry, at least), and it was never an issue. And then one day, one of my trainers came in wearing something that looked to me like a ba

Before diving into this post, ask yourself: Where do you need to be more influential? Is it at work, with your manager, stakeholders, or direct reports? Is it at home, with your spouse, partner, or kids? Or is it in your community, with your friends, neighbors, or fellow members of an organization? No matter where you need to be influential, it's important to know who you're trying to influence and what matters to them . You, like my father, may get all jazzed up about

I work with a fabulous organization called Wildfire Strategies , and our fearless leader, Steve Salee , has written an article that has shed new light on a bunch of the projects I've been involved with recently. So many organizations and teams I've been working with recently are struggling -- there are hurt feelings, broken trust, unclear or contradictory leadership, and so many more challenges. Steve's article highlights five "wounds" he sees in teams, and every single on

I was running some leadership training recently when a senior leader told me his greatest strength was that he ran his business like a...

I spent a lot of last year calling my insurance company about a large sum of money they owed me. And every time I called them, the...

In last week's HR Swap, we had a fantastic conversation about what it means to be "strategic" and how the participants decide where to focus their energy. We defined being strategic in a variety of ways, all of which laddered up to making something better and more efficient. So many HR professionals are overloaded with day-to-day tasks in addition to big-picture cultural shifts that any project or initiative that gets your attention should be one that makes not just the live

In a world of increasingly casual work interactions, it's always a good idea to remember that your boss has control over a lot of things in your professional life, and you don't want your opportunities for advancement or recognition to be undermined by a less-than-ideal relationship with your manager. Here are some tips to consider as you think about your relationship: Pay attention to your interactions With clients, we’re (ideally) on our best behavior. With our bosses, it’s