Great teams are honest with themselves. They know what’s important and what’s not, and they don’t pretend to do things. Honesty and clarity cut through the confusion and indecision that slows down lower performers. It allows focus. Honesty is a super power. How a team deals with trends is a…
130. What do you take credit for?
There’s a key difference between team sports and individual sports. The individual gets the result and gets the trophy. A team that gets the result gets the trophy. The players, even the star players, share the credit. It’s not how many points you scored, or saved, but whether your team…
129. Why be Humble?
I heard a leadership coach talking about being an effective CEO last week. She talked passionately about creating a personal brand – defining and promoting what you stand for as an individual. Leadership, for her, was mostly defined by the perception you create in others’ minds. There’s nothing wrong with…
128. Are you a Visionary?
Visionary leadership is not confined to the adventurous, courageous, innovative & extroverted types we think of like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. Those are just the famous ones. Every “visionary” communicates a message. So can you. The message might be world changing or small and mundane but it needs to…
127. How do I read your mind?
One reason we humans work well in groups is because we “know” what others in the group think. It maybe we know their views on important topics, or just how they will react in certain circumstances. We might be guessing or know with confidence, but teams simply don’t work without…
126. What needs sorting?
How do workers cope in our fast paced, complex and volatile world? One trick is easy to learn, and practice. Setting priorities. Anyone can do it in any workplace. You need to start in your own work. Don’t wait to be told. Don’t wait until you’re a leader. Practice a…
125. What are you decisive about?
Great leaders are decisive. Not in the way that you might think. Being decisive isn’t just about making fast decisions. It’s about being purposeful. When you’re clear what’s important and what’s not, deciding what to do in the moment is easy. Once you’ve set your mission, you need to make…
124. Is Risk a Problem?
Life is full of risks. Risk is the chance that something will go wrong – from mere inconvenience to catastrophic loss of life and property. Humans have managed risk pretty well over the millennia. We know that, because we’re still here. Leaders have led teams who have worked to get…
123. How do you get Courage?
Great leaders model courage. They have that ability to overcome fear, and step into danger when needed. Real courage is it’s not an abstract thing. It shows in your actions. Or doesn’t. Courageous leaders inspire trust, with or without fanfare. People follow that. Pretending to be brave doesn’t cut it,…
122. Are you an Explorer?
All great leaders are creative. So, in turn, are their teams. Not in the narrow sense of art or music or design, but the broader sense of original thought. A problem with the perception many have of creativity, is that it’s just about arts or entertainment. Nothing can be further…