People remember stories. One of the best ways for people to relate to you is to tell a story. My favorite stories tend to be of situations where everything goes wrong, but it all comes out right in the end because of the team. Yes, business is about facts and figures, but people get bored with presentations of data and information. But what does bring them together is the narrative. Continue reading
There is an interesting article in the WSJ called “How to be the Best Deputy – When Second is Best”. Having been a chief of staff, chief operating officer many times in my career, being number two is something I’ve really enjoyed. In the article, they talk about the do’s and don’ts: “take satisfaction in behind the scene wins”, “protect the boss from unnecessary surprises” as dos….don’ts include competing with the boss, expecting glory. What have I learned?
There will be times in your career when others come to the conclusion you are ready for the next move (as opposed to you thinking you’re ready). Sometimes it’s to take the role of your boss, lead a project that’s going poorly…..it’s almost always something that is outside your comfort zone and a surprise, since you weren’t looking for it. When people asked me to take roles, my reaction was often gratitude, followed by a compelling argument as to why I wasn’t qualified for the role. Lucky for me, I was overridden. Some things to think about:
Often when there are management changes, the temptation is to stop what you’re doing and wait for the new person to define the priorities and strategy. Here’s my litmus test: “If you’re doing the right thing for the firm, it shouldn’t matter who your boss is.” Continue reading
Recently, this has come up more and more in my conversations with women: situations where someone is struggling with a difficult individual, trying to get their job done. Worst thing? Every situation is woman/woman.
I can put up with a lot (incompetence, mistakes, laziness) but the worst behavior is bullying in the workplace. Here’s a definition I found online:
“Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others. The behavior is often repeated and habitual.” Continue reading
I’ve just come back from a trip where we’re doing some training on strategic communications, and I watched a film called “Crisis is our Brand” with Sandra Bullock on the plane. It’s an ok movie, but there is a brilliant moment when Sandra Bullock’s political consultant character crystallizes what the losing candidate has to do. Instead of trying to make the candidate more attractive, change the narrative so that the people will want a strong power candidate. Continue reading
I recently had a conversation with someone who was anxious about the timing of her promotion. She was concerned that if she didn’t have the platform, she should be looking to make a move to a new role in time for this year’s process. She was seeing “peers” get promoted. But she has managers who are actively helping her expand her platform. Some advice I gave her: Continue reading
So, as promised, here are my personal observations of the other 9 reasons why leaders fail, stumble, and struggle. The one I’ve already discussed is that they don’t know how to instill loyalty. Here are the other 9 contributing factors I’ve observed in my career: Continue reading
If we’re really honest with ourselves, we want to be perfect. We want everything to be in its place, to go as planned, to be in a perpetual state of perfection. Continue reading
“I’m a quarterback,” he says. “I don’t need to score the touchdown. I just need to spot the pass.”
Trevor Noah, taking over from Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, Vogue Magazine interview.
I love this quote..it sums up perfectly the combination of personal accountability, team work, and generosity.