Posts Tagged ‘mentoring’
The Basics of a Successful Career
We enter the business world with the expectation that we are starting up a trajectory that will always climb to the next promotion, a continual progression of responsibility and authority. This belief is a myth. Rarely is a career path a constant climb up the ladder? A career path is a “hero’s journey,” one beset…
Read MoreLeadership Stories we Tell Ourselves and Teach Others
Often we’ve written a script in our heads that may or may not be accurate. But this script can be limiting us from attaining our full potential. In this linked post (Is Your “Story” Holding You Back? Six Ways to Rewrite It—and Supercharge Your Power by Nancy D. O’Reilly, PsyD), we discover ways our stories are limiting…
Read MoreLeading from the Back is an Art
We often see a leader as the point person, but the reality is leaders very seldom take the point, and when all goes well, maybe they shouldn’t. Leadership doesn’t take courage; it takes owning the responsibilities of their decisions but then must also inspire the courage of others to act on those decisions. Taking responsibility…
Read MoreTrigger Points = Leadership Fails
Trigger points are those moments when our brain turns off, and our actions and reactions become “instinctive.” You know them, and you have them. Something happens that “sets you off.” It is a response that comes from deep inside, and it happens without you even thinking about what is happening. It is very visceral. Your…
Read MoreThree Must Haves in your Strategic Plan
As you move into our strategic planning and budgeting cycles, there are three must-haves when crafting a prosperous future for your credit union: A Plan for Transformation: Strategic Plans should be designed to transform the organization. If the culture is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” then don’t waste your time and money doing…
Read MoreLeadership Begins and Ends with Honesty
When you look back at past bosses you respected, bosses that were okay and bosses, how can I say it, needing a significant reboot, what made them different? I liked a boss that was honest with me. It seemed they knew when I messed up, it was unintentional. That doesn’t mean they overlooked my failures,…
Read More3 Steps to Team Alignment
How often have you worked with a team that isn’t on the same page? This familiar work situation of being misaligned is not the team’s fault, but the leader/manager’s responsibility. What Elements are required for Team Alignment? 1. Purpose 2. Culture 3. Values When any of these three elements are out of alignment, the result…
Read MoreThe Eight Attributes of a Transformational Leader
I have been very lucky to work for CEOs who understood the principle that leadership is not about doing business as usual but about transforming the organization. Transformation is what differentiates a capable leader from a great leader. Transformational leadership is not easy. It is fraught with risk and reward, angst and celebration, stress and…
Read MoreA Leader’s Dilemma; Punish or Pamper?
On CBS Morning, there was a piece titled Punish or Pamper. The news story was about how to maximize productivity in the workplace. Why is this an either/or issue? Is managing a team about punish or pamper? I don’t think so… There are times when employees need and deserve to be pampered, and conversely, there…
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