We are already at the end of a challenging year. So much of it has been a blur as we’ve scrambled to reinvent our work and daily habits to adapt to a persistent global pandemic. We are heading into 2021 knowing that our best-laid plans will be quickly undone without warning. How do we survive and...
Retention rates for mentees are 50 percent higher than those not mentored. In fact, mentoring can have a much greater impact on retention than salary increases. Think back to the time when someone provided you with the best advice or opportunity that fundamentally shaped your career. Was it a...
Few argue over the need for speed when responding and adapting to crisis and rapidly changing circumstances. For a few decades now, adapting to the rate of change has been the mantra in business writing and strategic thinking. McKinsey's landmark research, captured in the book "Beyond...
Leaders today understand the value of coaching - and employees are hungry for the kind of guidance that goes beyond instruction. Chief Learning Officer magazine says that coaching is the number one skill that’s targeted for front line managers. Add the complexities of leading remote teams, and...
You know your company has hidden leaders, just waiting to be uncovered and given opportunities to shine. But how to find them? Your underrepresented talent pool contains some high-potential leaders held back by their gender, ethnicity, orientation, culture or even personal style. Their skills are...
You believe in the conclusion, and then you create supporting arguments.— Daniel Kahneman You weigh options based on the decision you’ve already made, while pretending to be open minded. Leaders make decisions and then find ways to look smart for making them. Problems: It helps to know the problem...
The Rolling Stones sang, “You can’t always get what you want.” You can’t always choose the people you work with either. But when you have a choice, avoid relationships with toxic complainers. Danger: Negative opinions are more powerful than positive. Hanging with negative people makes you a...
Learning to lead is hard work. You’ll be learning to lead for your entire career. The big question is, how will you learn to lead well? That’s a challenge, because you don’t learn leadership the way you learn many other things in life. Learning Leadership Is Not Like Learning History History is a...
You put yourself on the line when you stand-with. Some of my proudest memories are of people I’ve stood-with when it would have been easier to walk-away. I’m not special. It’s likely you’ve done the same. Standing-with: Standing-with includes disadvantaging yourself in order to advantage another....
Dear Dan, I have an employee who rushes through her work. I’ve tried to get her to slow down, but she is always worried about getting in trouble for not getting work done. She has never gotten into trouble for not getting work done while working for me. When she rushes, she makes mistakes on...
Poorly run meetings cost US companies $399 billion. The survey says: "We surveyed 182 senior managers in a range of industries: 65% said meetings keep them from completing their own work. 71% said meetings are unproductive and inefficient, 64% said meetings come at the expense of deep thinking....
Avoiding common pitfalls to become a better leader. As a chief people officer, I have a front-row seat to watch some leadership careers flourish - and some crash and burn. Here are the five most critical mistakes that derail promising careers. 1. You think you have to know everything. I once...