Culture
Passion and Leadership; Leadership and Passion
Gung-ho and leadership are not the same things. We’ve all worked for a boss that was all about getting it done at all costs, striving to get all the wins at any cost, take the hill without caring about consequences. This behavior is not leadership. Passion is a leadership attribute that cannot be denied, but…
Read MoreLeaders Know the Temperature of the Team
Leading is about driving results but it is also about taking the team’s temperature and understanding three things:
– Do they need the temperature turned up?
– Do they need the temperature turned down?
– Do they need to be on a glide-path for a while?
There is no science to the art of temperature taking, but we can draw on personal experiences to help reset the temperature. Thinking back over your professional life you may have experienced some of the same dynamics that teams exhibit. Let’s correlate personal experiences to team experiences…
Air Travel, Leading and Stress: What do these have in common?
Stress is part of our lives. Outside forces can cause us stress, and we can also bring on stress for others and ourselves. Air travel is a source of stress; that makes it a good metaphor for stress management behaviors. Many people find air travel very stressful. The stress surrounding air travel is not unlike…
Read MoreWhat’s Dog Poop Got to Do with Leadership?
We’ve all observed the behaviors of dog owners. If you live in an urban or suburban area, you know the rules; if you walk your dog, you are expected to pick up your dog’s poop. From my home, I have a great view of a stretch of grass that is a favored peeing and pooping…
Read MoreWhen Leading is Painful, 4 Steps
On some occasions, when leaders have to take the point, the risk can be overwhelming. These times are when a leader’s mettle is truly tested when their courage and resolve are exposed. We’re not talking about those times that a leader has to make a project or product decision that may have a small to…
Read MoreThree Things Every Leader Must Know
Leadership is not for sissies. Leadership is not about you. Leadership has a price. Let’s diagnose each of these requirements. Leadership is not for sissies – To be an authentic leader takes courage. This courage is realized in many ways. Sometimes it is the courage to do what you don’t want to do, to do…
Read MoreWe Know Micromanaging is Bad, but How Bad?
No one likes a micromanager. Micromanaging impacts employees and the organizations they work for in myriad ways. Employee satisfaction Think about how satisfied you can be with a job well done or an accomplishment when someone has dictated every step you take, every decision you made, and everything you contributed. Job satisfaction comes not from…
Read MoreSo You Want to Be a Leader; A 3-Step Primer
First, let’s define leadership. Leadership IS NOT about title, rank, direct reports or hierarchal power. Leadership IS about creating change. A person that is not creating change is maybe good at tasks and people management but not a leader. Being a leader requires the individual to have the courage to take risks, use her/his voice…
Read MoreFive Strategic Questions for the Board and Senior Management
It’s a strange time for credit unions. Credit unions face unprecedented pressures from regulators and examiners and capital pressures for net interest margins and fee income. Often they don’t benefit from “economies of scale” or the resources, people, and capital, to invest in the infrastructure demands of vendor due diligence, regulatory compliance, or technology demands…
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