When Does Being a Jerk Matter?

When Does Being a Jerk Matter? When how to get the job done becomes as important as getting the job done So we’re approaching the end of the year, the time when we reflect on what we’ve done during these past 330+ days and what lies ahead. If you’re a leader, you’ll likely also reflect on what your team has done during these past 330+ days and what lies ahead for them. In…

Does Your Manager’s Shadow Conceal You?

Does Your Manager’s Shadow Conceal You? Congratulations!  You have a very successful career, received promotions and pay increases along the way, and better still, your manager thinks you’re a rock star. Life.  Couldn’t.  Be.  Better. When you ask your manager for feedback on how you’re doing she says, “Great.  Keep it up.”  You’re thrilled. You meet with your manager on a regular basis.  He’s certainly no absentee manager.  You meet your…

Final Component to Mastering the Leader’s Triumvirate

Final Component to Mastering the Leader’s Triumvirate In the first installment of this three-part series, we discussed mastering the allocation of your time.  Effective leaders know the difference between what’s urgent and what’s important, and they ensure they spend proper time on what’s important, particularly on what’s important but not urgent; they avoid being consumed by what’s only urgent. In the second installment, we discussed mastering your strategic focus.  Effective leaders know what their strategic…

Part 2 of Mastering the Leader’s Triumvirate

Part 2 of Mastering the Leader’s Triumvirate In the previous installment of Mastering the Leader’s Triumvirate, we discussed the first requirement: mastering the allocation of your time.  If you’re fortunate to have lived thus far, you’re fortunate to have been given a resource you never had to pay for, and yet is so readily squandered. We each have the same 168 hours per week to spend.  How we do so will be different.…

Do You Master the Leader’s Triumvirate?

Do You Master the Leader’s Triumvirate? To succeed as a leader, you must master the Leader’s Triumvirate. What’s a triumvirate? A triumvirate is a group of 3 people who agree to work together to advance their shared interests and influence.  One of the most famous was the Roman triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompeius Magnus (“Pompey the Great”), and Marcus Crassus during the first century BCE. Crassus would die in 53 BCE. …

Do You Confuse Perception & Reality?

Do You Confuse Perception & Reality? So which do you see?  Two faces or a vase?  If you said, “I see a candlestick holder”, okay, you still get a point. If I asked you, “Which is more correct?  The two faces or the vase?  Which is more real?”, you’d say something like, “Don’t be foolish, Dave.  It’s both.  I see the two faces and I see the vase.  They’re both real.”…

You’re Not Alone: Everyone Fakes It Sometimes.

You’re Not Alone: Everyone Fakes It Sometimes. Congratulations!  You got that promotion!! That job you had your eyes on for so long is finally yours.  What a rush!  Your partner/spouse is thrilled!  Your parents are thrilled!  Even the dog seems happier to see you when you come home.  Life. just. couldn’t. get. any. better. So why do you feel so much like a fraud? And why are you worried people will find out you don’t…

Frankly, Why Do You Even Think You’re Right?

Frankly, Why Do You Even Think You’re Right? We recently replaced a 13-year-old dryer: it took 2 1/2 hours to dry a regular load of clothes.  The only problem was, the newly acquired dryer took just as long.  The manufacturer sent out a technician to investigate, and he solved the matter in minutes.  After a few questions, he confirmed there was heat in the dryer, and then went outside to check the…

What I Learned from Hurricane Matthew & 9/11

What I Learned from Hurricane Matthew & 9/11 In 2001, I was in Manhattan during 9/11. Fifteen years later in 2016, I was living in Savannah (but did not stay) during Hurricane Matthew. Both were very different events, with entirely different causes, and entirely different implications and outcomes. But combined, they’ve left me with a few reflections on people, leaders, and just life in general: People In times of crisis,…

Does Your Leadership Influence Travel at the Speed of Light?

Does Your Leadership Influence Travel at the Speed of Light? The James Webb Space Telescope In October 2018, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.  According to NASA, “JWST will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after…
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