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“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

“Who am I to have a goal of being a senior leader?”  “I’m afraid of being found out.” “I really do doubt myself from time to time.” “I don’t have imposter syndrome. I really am a fraud.”   Most high-achieving, intelligent, ambitious leaders have “imposter” thoughts like these from time to time. (If you don’t,Read more

You’re not alone in this camp. My recent survey invited executives and leaders to share their biggest challenge. I found the result surprising in that… Well over 50% of respondents said that their fluctuating 
confidence was the greatest inhibitor to their success as a leader These leaders are also concerned that their confidence level isRead 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

Brilliant leaders think differently to not-so-brilliant leaders. This is good news if you want your leadership to be more brilliant than it currently is—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, yes—but it’s not particularlyRead more

Have you ever worked for a leader who put most of their energy into what they do—things like strategic planning, motivating the team to produce results, following up on commitments, and so on…… ……rather than who they are as a leader—things like always being authentic and personally disciplined and oozing emotional intelligence?   “Statistically Speaking,Read more

Seth Godin got me thinking, again, when he spoke about the choices we make. He said…… “Attitude is the most important choice any of us will make. We made it yesterday and we get another choice to make it today. And then again tomorrow. The choice to participate. To be optimistic. To intentionally bring outRead more

Here’s what Seth Godin said: “We spend a lot of time talking about celebrities and how attractive they are. Paul Newman’s blue eyes, how tall is Jake Gyllenhaal, how fast is Usain Bolt. Most of the time, though, our success is based on something we have far more control over: Our emotional attractiveness. People who areRead more

How would it be if you felt totally proud of who you are as a leader? I mean, imagine feeling totally proud! Doesn’t matter if you’re close now, or further away. Totally is a new story 🙂 . How amazing would that actually be? A Couple Of Months Ago… I realised that pretty much allRead more

In a 360-feedback interview a team member described his leader as being inconsiderate and unreasonable. He went on to say that when his leader was overwhelmed and overstressed, the leader had a “very short fuse”. Further investigations with other team members told a similar story: They felt devalued and disrespected because their leader was sometimesRead more

“How am I going?” That’s the question great leaders ask those around them—their direct reports, peers and boss. It’s their opinions that count as you rejuvenate your leadership. They know. They’re the people who’re watching you.   What Motivates Great Leaders To Ask The Question? Great leaders: Care about being an exceptional leader. Good enoughRead more

One of the traps you and I both fall into, when we’re not eagle-eyed about it, is to blame others when something goes off-track. We either physically, verbally or attitudinally point our finger at someone else. We think, talk and behave as if another person is the cause of the trouble. The problem is, whenRead more

An “I’m OK, You’re OK” attitude is an intrinsic part of effective leadership. This proposition usually triggers a lot of discussion . What troubles some leaders is their perception of their lack of capacity to view another person as OK when the other person’s behaviour was clearly not OK—well, in the mind of the observerRead more

A recent coaching conversation uncovered a quality that’s intrinsic to effective leadership—a sturdy, resilient “I’m OK, you’re OK” mindset. Surprisingly, leaders and those who develop leaders haven’t given a lot of attention to this topic—and yet it’s impossible for a leader to be astute, influential and upwardly mobile without this underlying mindset. Here’s why…  Read more

A couple of weeks ago a coaching conversation uncovered a quality that’s absolutely intrinsic to effective leadership. What is this quality? It’s a resilient “I’m OK, you’re OK” attitude. Not nearly enough attention has been given to this topic in leadership development realms—and yet it’s impossible to be a truly effective leader without this underlyingRead more