Complete Leader Articles
Think Differently About Competition at Work
By Dr. Francis Eberle
Every spring I get reacquainted with my bicycle. For me cycling is recreational, social, competitive, and great exercise. While riding, cyclists talk, solve the problems, reminisce, “take a turn” at the front and wait if someone lags behind. The first group rides of the year often take a slightly different tone. The pace... read more
The Four Commitments of Inner Circle Coaching
By Whit Mitchell
My favorite method of executive coaching (and by far the most impactful for my clients) is called Inner Circle Coaching. It is a team effort that relies on feedback and partnership from a leader’s inner circle to help that leader see his or her blind spots, and to create long-term success and changed behaviors.
Why do... read more
What Leaders Should Know About Innovation
By Ron Price
These days you hear and read a lot about innovation. It’s the common buzzword and there are constantly new articles and blogs written about it, but most of it is simply a rehashing of what has been written in the past. There’s very little new thought going into innovation, which is ironic if you think about it.
This is... read more
4 Tips to Eliminate Emotional Blind Spots
By Bob Sands
It happened in an instant. My wife was on a conference call sitting next to me, and I was driving. My kids were in the back seat looking at their phones. I was in the far-left lane on Florida’s Turnpike when the semi-truck to the right of me began merging into my lane. I couldn’t speed up or slam on my brakes because there were... read more
Are You in a Leadership Rut?
5 Ways to Break Old Habits and Shake Things Up
By Whit Mitchell
Many of us have experienced times in our careers when work seemed stale and personal progress slowed. This can be particularly true for a leader, especially if you’ve been leading for a while. Leaders can find themselves sticking with a single leadership style, instead of... read more
Hire the Right Candidate Every Time with These 3 Steps
Joe Smith seemingly has the whole package. He has a solid resume, great references, skills that showcase his expertise in his field and plenty of success stories to his credit. On paper, Joe seems like the ultimate “can’t miss” candidate. Joe looks the part and his appearance seems to match his resume.
During the interview, Joe is well-... read more
Help Your Boss Understand Your Work Style
Using DISC Insights to Manage Up and Manage Down
When Leadership Coach Lori McNeill first met Mike Molloy, Associate Director at Immunext, Inc., she noticed that he was experiencing frustration at work. “His speech was fast-paced, and he would strike the table for emphasis. You could physically see and hear the tension he was experiencing.”... read more
Who Makes the Best Leaders?
A Yin and Yang Look at the Eight Types of Leaders
By Andy Johnson
In an interesting 2010 study, a team of researchers led by Adam Grant of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania set out to understand a nagging question in the leadership world. Who makes the best leaders?
Adam Grant and I both identify as social... read more
5 Keys to Creating the Ideal Work Environment
One of my favorite interview questions to ask candidates is “what’s your ideal environment?” If the environment is not right, skills, values and other intangibles may not matter. Different individuals thrive in different environments. The key to craft an ideal environment is to understand a person’s drivers and primary behavioral style. ... read more
Make Your Team Better with DISC
By Whit Mitchell
Why do people lose their jobs? Managers hire for skill, but they rarely fire for incompetence. Instead they fire because of bad behavior.
“Bad” behavior comes in many forms. It can be behavior that the manager doesn’t understand, or a reaction to a recent responsibility change or a promotion. What if you had a tool to... read more