Recently, I was in a lunch discussion with a former work colleague about the qualities of an exceptional manager. I was curious about his thoughts because in my mind, he’s always been an exceptional leader, particularly in managing people. As we shared our thoughts on the topic, he had a simple reflection. He said that the problem with many managers is that they “don’t know the basics.”
The next time you head into a meeting where an important issue is about to be discussed, pay attention to the number and kinds of questions asked in the meeting. This is one good way to assess the quality, depth and effectiveness of the discussions you are having in your organization.
In my leadership work, I have been fielding more and more questions from executives and managers about trust, or the lack there of, within their teams. As one executive asked me recently, “What’s it take for a group to get past its trust issues?”
We all feel it at some point. Our worlds can reach an overwhelming level of complexity at home or work. Sometimes both.
It’s the beginning of a new year, so our minds predictably jump to making big changes. We’re all familiar with what happens with our personal New Year’s resolutions. That’s right. Most don’t stick.
Recently, I was listening to a client reminisce about one of her previous companies and what a great place it was to work. For her, it boiled down to the daily trust, closeness and support she felt from her co-workers.
Overloaded: It is the “normal” state of things. Overbooked calendars. Dashing from one meeting to the next. More work than one person can handle. Leaders operate under an expectation that they should be able to handle whatever comes their way, no matter how much comes their way.
While watching all the big changes in Washington D.C. recently, I’ve been thinking quite bit about the concept of ego—what it means to have one of the healthy or unhealthy variety.
