Leadership – Connect 2 Potential

Control Kills Motivation — How To Motivate Without Micromanaging

Many newer managers tend to swing wildly in one direction or another in terms of how much control they exert over their teams. Some go overboard on the “hands-off” approach. They’ve heard about or experienced the problems of micromanaging. What often happens is they show up as overly-trusting managers, not putting in the time to train team members or set appropriate guidelines for how the work should be done. While direct reports tend to like […]

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Is This Killing Team Creativity? — The Hush Around Conflict

Earlier this year, the hottest debate on LinkedIn was centered around something extremely trivial: the em dash. If you post on LinkedIn, you probably saw some of the heated comments between the “em dashes are indicators of AI” and “I used em dashes long before AI” crowds. We might dismiss this argument as silly internet drama, but I think there’s a much bigger lesson to learn here. Humans are brilliant, empathetic, and inventive. But we

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One-on-one Took a Negative Turn? — 5 Tips to Salvage the Meeting

With so much uncertainty in the world right now turning up the heat and pressure, employees are having a tough time. So if you’ve noticed your teammates being stressed or disengaged—now more than ever is a time for patience and understanding! As leaders, we face the same challenges that our teammates do. But we also have the responsibility to try to make connections and understand their struggles—and one of the best ways to do that is

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30 Second Rule – A Networking Plan That Works

You’re at an event. You see an industry leader that you really want to connect with. You have a few seconds to catch their attention. What do you do??? Last week I shared my 3-step planning framework for a successful networking event. (If you missed it, click here to catch up) My previous email addressed how to start your outreach before you get to an event. But what happens when you’re actually there, trying to

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Get My 3-step Networking Framework for Events – More Conversations, More Connections

You probably have at least one business event on your calendar right now. Have you thought about… ➡️ Who you want to meet? ➡️ How you will reach out to them? ➡️ What you will say when you see them? If you don’t have answers to these questions, you need to start thinking about them now! Late winter/early spring is always the time of year when I revisit my networking skills and strategies. Although it

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Learning to Lead Through Connection… Not Just Authority

“Why won’t they just do their jobs?” I think we’ve all had a frustrated moment like this at some point! When my client Rob* asked me this question, he was reaching the end of his patience. Rob was a highly analytical, black-and-white thinker. When given a job, he simply did it, earning him recognition as a high-performer. So when he transitioned into a leadership position, he couldn’t understand why his team didn’t operate in the

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Why Doesn’t Your Team Care? – Connecting Purpose to the Personal

Sometimes teams go through periods of exhaustion. They’re just showing up, checking off boxes, and going home. As a leader, there are few things more disheartening. I’ve had several people tell me, “No one seems to care as much as I do!” Some days it feels as if you’re trying to carry your whole team forward by yourself. But what if you’re missing a crucial element? It’s not that your team doesn’t care. They just

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The Real Reason You’re Too Busy

I have a simple question for you: “Who else on your team can take on the project you’re consumed by right now?” Stop and think about it for a moment. Do you have an answer? A while back, when I asked my client Grace* this question, she looked at me like I’d sprouted an extra head! That’s when she realized how stuck she was. Grace had been asked to work on a strategic plan that

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The #1 Gamechanger for Growing as a Leader

In leadership roles, we’re used to starting Q1 with the heat turned up. Always busy, always behind, and always battling a long to-do list 😬 When under pressure, we naturally feel the need to work harder and faster. Especially as leaders with a whole team counting on us! But if that’s your mindset, you’re in danger of falling into the same trap I did: ➡️ You’re productive but you’re not actually making progress. ➡️ You’re

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Five Ways to Help Newer Managers Thrive

The transition from individual contributor to manager is often the toughest in a person’s career path. Newer managers find themselves needing a whole new set of skills that may be unrelated to the work they excelled at in their previous roles. At the same time, they may lack the confidence to ask for help or admit that they are struggling. Based on what I’ve learned from my clients and from my own leadership journey, I

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2020 Vision

The end of one year and the start of the next is always a great opportunity to pause and notice where we’ve been and where we’re going. As we head into 2020, we have the chance to usher in a new year and a new decade. 2020 represents symmetry and balance. It holds layers of meaning if we let it. No matter the condition of your actual eyesight, don’t pass up this opportunity to have

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Networking Skills Video Series

Do you dread networking? Do you look for any excuse to delay going to the big reception and then clump together with people you already know when you get there? You are not alone, but you can rise above your fear and dread. The truth is that your success at an industry event hinges on your ability to talk with people, learn about them and make an impression so they will remember you. I’ve created

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The Impact of Asking “Why” Questions

The brilliant Simon Sinek implores us to “Start With Why”. It’s a question that’s intended to drill right to the heart of our purpose. When used effectively, “why” helps us create a vision that’s infused with energy and supported by passion. Unfortunately, that’s not how most people use “why”. “Why did you do it that way?” could simply be a bid for understanding. But with just the slightest change in tone, emphasis or even body

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A Great Job Starts With A Great Boss

I reconnected with a friend this morning. My first question was, “How do you like your new job?” Without missing a beat, she replied, “I love my job – I have the best boss I’ve had in 20 years!” She went on to speak about the work, the company, her co-workers, and then came back around to speak more about this fabulous boss. Once again, I’m reminded of what a difference it makes when you

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What’s the Difference Between Training, Mentoring and Coaching?

There seems to be lots of confusion about the differences between training, mentoring and coaching. I see leaders claiming that they are “coaching” their team when they are training or mentoring. Using a coach approach can make a huge difference in a team’s engagement and results, so it’s important to recognize when you are actually coaching. I’ve come up with three simple phrases to help you identify which mode you are in at any time.

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High Impact Activity

Nearly all of my clients tell me that lack of time is the obstacle that’s standing between where they are and where they want to be. It seems to be universal to the human experience. It’s likely that you experience this frustration as well. Unfortunately, I don’t have a time machine. I can’t give you any more than the 24 hours we all have in a day. The only magic wand I know of is

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The Gift of Clarity

I recently had my favorite dining experience EVER at Colonie in Brooklyn, NY. While seated at the Chef’s Counter, I observed a team of chefs, kitchen staff and servers who worked as a calm, efficient and well-oiled machine. It was clear that each person knew exactly what was expected of them, and what they could expect from each other. The standards for the food and service were understood by all. And when things went wrong,

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Set a New Year’s Vision, Not a New Year’s Resolution

For most people, New Year’s resolutions just don’t work. Instead, create a vision for 2019 that excites and inspires you. That vision, combined with your dedication to making it a reality, can change your life. Before we start our next journey around the sun, take time to reflect on what has gone well and how you’ve grown through your successes and your failures in 2018. Then, from this place of clarity about where you’ve been, set your

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Deepen your leadership mastery with the “Work of Leaders” model

Contrary to the notion that leadership is a capacity you’re born with (or not), research has proven that leadership can be understood, taught and practiced so that anyone can become a more effective leader. On my never-ending quest to understand how individuals can acquire these skills, I discovered The Work of Leaders, How Vision, Alignment and Execution Will Change the Way You Lead. The Work of Leaders model identifies tangible behaviors that can build one’s

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What Was Your Win?

Those four words form a powerful question that can make a difference for your team. The concept is surprisingly simple. During a meeting or conference call, each member of the team tells a brief story about something that went well for them since the last time the group met. You can set guidelines so that the story must be business-related, or you can leave it open to personal wins as well. The team can set a

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