Blog

In more than twenty years of coaching senior leaders, I’m clear on the answer to the question, “What is the #1 mistake leaders make?” Most Leaders Think They’re Giving Their Team Members Enough Feedback  But that’s not so. A friend who’d recently moved into a GM role hadn’t had feedback from her boss. She wasRead more

“Maybe I’m not capable of being the leader that I want to be.” “I’m not confident that I can do a decent job as an executive.” “Who do I think I am? Truth be known, I’m not really very effective in my role.”   So many leaders talk about how they sometimes feel like aRead more

Here’s a short but important message from Seth Godin:   Optimism As a Choice If your team is up by thirty points at halftime, it’s not optimistic to expect that you’re going to win–it’s a realistic assessment. Optimism is an attitude and a choice. It involves context and focus. We’re not deluding ourselves with theRead more

As a leader it’s essential that you don’t put “the cart before the horse”. We know that doesn’t work. And jumping into action when you feel anxious and overwhelmed, before you’ve developed a constructive mindset, is like putting the cart before the horse. Think about it: Historically, when your performance has been less-than-great, wasn’t itRead more

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” —George Bernard Shaw   Brilliant leaders think differently to not-so-brilliant leaders. This is good news—given that you’re 100% in control of the way you think. But let’s be clear about this… In the short-term, controlling the way you think is simple—but, as you’ve probably noticed,Read more

I don’t think we have any option but to accept what’s going on in this interesting new world we live in—and plan a bright future for ourselves, both as a person on the planet and as a leader. Many female leaders are getting real clarity about how they can be a stronger leader from myRead more

This question isn’t as lightweight as it sounds. Because our brain is a question-asking and question-answering mechanism, as soon as you ask, “What are you hoping for?”, your brain begins to paint a picture of your ideal outcome. But wait, there’s more… Once your brain begins to paint a picture of what you’re hoping for,Read more

I’m speaking to female leaders, in particular, here… You don’t need to settle for anything less than being totally inspiring and sought-after. Being an OK leader isn’t good-enough. You don’t need to be anything less than your ideal. Your first step in moving towards being the leader you want to be is to figure outRead more

Sadly, the bell curve is just as real when applied to a leader’s performance as it is in other realms of performance. Female leaders typically sit in one of four categories on the normal curve of distribution, aka the bell curve: As a female leader, when you sit in the Red zone… You’ll be inRead more