I was on my hands and knees on the ground by the pond. Blood was dripping in a steady stream off of my head, forming a puddle on the deck. I had initially thought I had just bumped my…
The most important role of a manager is to support the growth of the members of their team and one of the core ways that managers can do that is by providing effective feedback. I define effective feedback as…
A senior leader recently asked me, “Isn’t servant-leadership just having the leader do the crappy work?” The answer is a complicated — maybe. If there is a task that needs to get done and the best way for the leader to…
Three weeks after starting my new job I was having a conversation with my wife. “I don’t know that it is a great idea to go out tonight, it will be late and we have commitments in the morning.”…
Although the term was coined in 1970 by Robert K. Greenleaf, servant-leadership continues to be a popular topic. It is a form of leadership that many aspire to, but at the same time it is often ill defined and…
Humans are natural storytellers and in many ways telling stories is what makes us human. Stories help us make sense of the experiences of our lives. Stories create an emotional connection to events and facts — they give meaning to the…
After reading my last article on integrity, one reader asked, “How does standing up for your values align with the concept of choosing which hill to die on?” It is a great question and it allows me to clarify…
It is a phrase that is quite common at organizations, but I was still a bit stunned when the words came out of my manager’s mouth. “We didn’t have a choice.” The words seemed to echo in the room….
