7 Years

Beingaleader has now been published every Tuesday morning for the past seven years. It has been a journey to provide my contemporaneous thoughts on leadership. Below is that first blog from January 1, 2019 that outlines what I've tried to do and I feel like I've stayed on point during this whole time. Read the … Continue reading 7 Years →

Modern Leadership #14 – Discernment

Beingaleader means you need to have and exercise discernment every day. The ability to recognize subtleties in speech and demeanor. The ability to apply wisdom to new situations. To use your judgment in making right decisions and plans for the future. The ability to pick up on subtleties can have a profound effect on your … Continue reading Modern Leadership #14 – Discernment →

Modern Leadership #13 – Information

Beingaleader means you need to provide information to your team. Not horde it. Not assume 'they can't handle it'. Not 'they don't need to know...yet'. Stop already. If you have information that impacts your team, tell them. Some say that information is power. And some leaders want to wield that power over their employees. Some … Continue reading Modern Leadership #13 – Information →

Modern Leadership #12 – Connection

Beingaleader means you need to know how to connect with and among your team. Employees are looking for connection. Connection to people. Connection to a purpose. Connection for community. Connecting to people is a high priority for many employees today. Connecting on a regular basis with specific individuals especially their supervisor who can provide both … Continue reading Modern Leadership #12 – Connection →

Modern Leadership #11 – Lead to Serve

Beingaleader means you need to learn to lead to serve. It's about giving inspiration. It's about working for the good of others. I don't mean you put yourself down or hold yourself back. Rather, it's about raising the boat with everyone in it and making them better people and better leaders due to your presence … Continue reading Modern Leadership #11 – Lead to Serve →

Modern Leadership #10 – Performance Evaluations

Beingaleader means you need to re-think and re-do performance evaluations. Yes, everyone needs to be evaluated. But the current mindset of annual performance reviews is broken, in my opinion. First of all, performance reviews reflect and discuss issues that might have occurred over 12 months ago. How would you like to be reminded of the … Continue reading Modern Leadership #10 – Performance Evaluations →

Modern Leadership #9 – Employee Expectations

Beingaleader means you need to understand modern employee expectations. The employees of today. Not the employees of the past. Today's modern employee is looking for flexibility. Remote. Hybrid. Flexibility. Stop with the "culture of the company" requires physical presence talk. It's just not true anymore. I'm not sure if it was even true before. But … Continue reading Modern Leadership #9 – Employee Expectations →

Modern Leadership #8 – Hiring

Beingaleader means you will be hiring people. You need to look at the people you want to hire and the process you are using to find them or scare them away. You want to hire high value people. That's the goal. People who will do the job. Who will grow with the job. And work … Continue reading Modern Leadership #8 – Hiring →

Modern Leadership – Conflict

Beingaleader means you have to deal with conflict. And in today's modern workplace, conflict can take on a whole new meaning requiring a whole new approach. Conflict is usually best dealt with face to face. That's a new problem for this remote world. At best, face to face is via a screen. That creates new … Continue reading Modern Leadership – Conflict →

Modern Leadership #3 – Remote

Beingaleader means you have to deal with remote work, hybrid work and other types of changes to the traditional work place team management. Adapt and embrace. For many people, remote work started during the pandemic of 2020 and following. And now there are those that want to make employees come back all or part of … Continue reading Modern Leadership #3 – Remote →

Modern Leadership #2 – Vulnerable

Beingaleader means you need to change and adapt to the modern leadership landscape. We touched on checking on your employees last week. This week it's the opposite angle to the same thing: showing your vulnerability to your team. Vulnerability you say? Not me. Never. That's the same thing as weakness. And leadership is about strength … Continue reading Modern Leadership #2 – Vulnerable →

Modern Leadership #1 – Employee Burnout

Beingaleader means you need to adapt and change to not just the culture in general but to the culture and characteristics of the modern employee. We will start a small series on topics that might not have been important or as important 30 years ago but are critically important in today's marketplace leadership. We will … Continue reading Modern Leadership #1 – Employee Burnout →

Testing Ground

#Beingaleader means you have a ready made testing ground for new and innovative ideas. There's absolutely no reason to keep doing things the same way if you're not liking the results you're getting. Try something new. Too often we get stuck. Doing the same thing. Getting the same results. And not always favorable ones. Try … Continue reading Testing Ground →

Consult

#Beingaleader means you need to consult. You have experience. You have expertise. Someone will be calling you to get your input. Your thoughts. Maybe even your wisdom as to how to apply your experience to their situation. I often say that you can tell what you are good at by looking at the things you … Continue reading Consult →

Well Being

#Beingaleader means you need to be aware of your own and others' well being. You are responsible for your health and for the health of others that you lead. Do you know that your well being is of the utmost importance for health, success and longevity of your leadership? Well being is defined as taking … Continue reading Well Being →

Ethical

#Beingaleader means you need to be ethical and act in an ethical manner. The idea is that you need to have, and then act on, your moral compass. I know most professions have their professional ethical code of conduct whether you're a lawyer or a doctor or whatever. But I'm not not talking about the … Continue reading Ethical →

Restraint

#Beingaleader means that sometimes it's best not to say anything.

Cross-Cultural

#Beingaleader means you are likely to lead cross-cultural teams at some point. I have traveled to over 20 countries. I've led teams in many of those countries including Singapore, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, United States, and India. I've led in-person teams and remote teams. Men. Women. Numerous religious and cultural backgrounds. … Continue reading Cross-Cultural →

Composed

#Beingaleader means you have to be composed. Composed in the face of change. Composed in the face of difficulty. Composed for those around you. You set the tone. You set the team atmosphere. Better for you to be composed. Look, life is full of curveballs. They happen to all of us and they can happen … Continue reading Composed →

Unfair

#Beingaleader means you have to grapple with the issue of fairness. Am I being treated fairly? Are these circumstances fair to me and my business? How should I respond to unfair treatment? It's a serious question because as a leader, you are often treated unfairly. Clients leave you for no reason. Colleagues disparage you or … Continue reading Unfair →

Meetings

#Beingaleader means you have to attend a lot of meetings. Zoom. Teams. In person. Meetings. Sometimes all day. Meetings you control. Meetings that others control. Meetings that have value. Meetings that don't. Meetings often feel like a necessary evil, clogging calendars and draining energy when they lack focus. Without a clear agenda, they can devolve … Continue reading Meetings →

Money – Saving

#Beingaleader means you need to learn to save money. Last time we talked about the importance and strategies for earning money. Now that you have it, what do you do with it? The answer to that question will have a great impact on your leadership. So, you want to save. But what for? Annual expenses. … Continue reading Money – Saving →

Empower

#Beingaleader means you need to empower your team. Giving them power. Authority. Showing confidence in them to make the right decisions as if you were making them yourself. Leader, are you empowering your team or showing only your power to your team? They cannot learn without you empowering them. They cannot get better at decision … Continue reading Empower →

Talent Optimization

#Beingaleader means you need to understand talent optimization. It's not just about filling seats; it's about finding the needed strengths, ensuring every member of the team plays their part with precision. The heart of true talent optimization lies in understanding the individual team member. This requires a leader who is both observer and listener, one … Continue reading Talent Optimization →

Micro

#Beingaleader means you need to think and act on a micro level. The small picture. See what's really going on at a personal level. Sweat the small stuff. Making strategic decisions for what's best for individual team members. You need a focused perspective. Not always having your head in the clouds but sweating the details. … Continue reading Micro →

Assertive

#Beingaleader means you need to be assertive. At least at some critical points in time. It might not be your normal style. It might not be what you are comfortable with. But sometimes you need to be assertive to the betterment of your team and the circumstances you are working under. Being assertive is not … Continue reading Assertive →

Opportunity

#Beingaleader means you need to seek out and understand opportunity. The old phrase is Opportunity Knocks. Well, that has not been my experience. Most of the time, opportunity has to be spotted by you, harnessed into something actionable, and then has some follow through required. So, how do you spot an opportunity? The first question … Continue reading Opportunity →

Vulnerable

#Beingaleader means you need to embrace vulnerability. Be who you really are and not some fake personality that blusters over every one. Leadership is often associated with strength, confidence, and decisiveness. But true leadership isn’t about projecting perfection—it’s about being real. It means being willing to admit that you don’t have all the answers, that … Continue reading Vulnerable →

Multi-Generational

#Beingaleader means you need to understand the multi-generational aspect of leadership and the marketplace. It's a skill you need to learn and apply. Each generation has different things that motivate them. Different ways of expressing themselves. Different ways of communicating. Different ways they want performance evaluations or feedback to be provided. You can learn them … Continue reading Multi-Generational →

Kindness

#Beingaleader means you need to show kindness. Kindness to your team. To those you supervise. To clients. And to those others that you run into on a regular basis. Google defines kindness as a quality of being that involves treating others with consideration, generosity, and concern, without expecting anything in return. So, two parts. Treating … Continue reading Kindness →

Thanks

#Beingaleader means you need to give thanks. More not less. It's been 2 years since I wrote on being thankful. I should probably write on it every week. More thankful. And more giving of thanks. First, you need to be thankful. Then you need to give it away. It is a two step process. And … Continue reading Thanks →

Remote

#Beingaleader means you or your team often have to work in a remote environment. Many of us talk to our team around the country or even internationally. We have co-workers in multiple locations that would necessitate a zoom or teams meeting even if we sat in an office somewhere. We are living in the day … Continue reading Remote →

Strategy

#Beingaleader means you need a strategy. I thought out plan. More than just a goal or a vision. But steps to get to where you want to be. The how. Not just the why. A plan of action. A strategy. Whether you are a small team leader or a large corporate executive, you need a … Continue reading Strategy →

Change Management

#Beingaleader means you need to understand and lead change management. What it is. How to properly implement it. Know how it affects those on your team and potentially those not on your team. Change management isn't about the change itself. It's about the process of identifying, creating and implementing that change. You can have people … Continue reading Change Management →

Appreciate

#Beingaleader means you need to be the head appreciator for your team. Appreciate what your team is doing. Appreciate the business you are in. The position you have and the opportunities given for the next position. What does it mean to appreciate your team and their efforts? It means to recognize their true or whole … Continue reading Appreciate →

Compassion

#Beingaleader means you need to have compassion. For your team. For their experiences and how that impacts them. Compassion is defined as having the desire to take action to help others. What does it mean to have compassion for someone? It means you know about their circumstance. That you care about their circumstance. And you … Continue reading Compassion →

Rock

#Beingaleader means you are a rock. Not easily swayed. You know who you are and what you believe. You stand for something. And you defend others. Sometimes, even to your own short term detriment. You cannot be easily swayed and be a good leader at the same time. You may feel that you are sometimes … Continue reading Rock →

Authority

#Beingaleader means you have authority. You have it. You can use it. You can delegate it. Authority is defined as having the power to make decisions for or on behalf of others. This is not necessarily the same thing as being the boss. Title has little to do with true authority. Yes, they might be … Continue reading Authority →

Challenge

#Beingaleader means you constantly need to face a new challenge. Nothing gets the fire going inside of a leader than a real challenge. Without it, boredom, complacency and bad habits can form. A challenge allows you to go to new heights and not get trapped going backwards. #Beingaleader means that you don't shrink back from … Continue reading Challenge →

Respect

#Beingaleader means you need to have respect. For yourself. For others. Respect for what you do and respect for how you got to where you are. Respect for yourself. The position you are in. The value you bring. The obstacles you have overcome. Not pride. Respect. Respect means due regard. Sound judgment of the facts. … Continue reading Respect →

Sage

#Beingaleader means that at some point you will be a sage. One who teaches others to be a leader. One to whom others go for advice and counsel. One who has built a legacy of consistency, honor, and courage and led by example. Everyone wants one. The question today is whether you will become one … Continue reading Sage →

Likeability

#Beingaleader means you understand the importance of likeability. Both for yourself and your team. Your likeability. And theirs. It may not have been a conscious thought process in your mind but you measure it every time you meet someone. Skill. Experience. Competency. Even Character. All are important. But the packaging in which they are delivered … Continue reading Likeability →

Example

#Beingaleader means you are setting an example. For good or bad. You are. So the question becomes: what kind of example do you want to set? One of honor and integrity? Hard work? Driven? Cutting corners? Angry? There are lots of ways to be an example. #Beingaleader is all about making choices as to what … Continue reading Example →

Don’t Freak

#Beingaleader means you don't freak. You don't panic. You try to be proactive instead of reactive. You don't let your emotions get the better of you. Even in a crisis or unexpected situation or moment. In teaching each of my kids to drive, I have one rule: don't freak. This means you don't overreact. You … Continue reading Don’t Freak →

Infamy

#Beingaleader means you need to avoid infamy. Being well known for a bad quality or deed. Infamy can kill your future. It means others will look at you with suspicion. It is very hard to overcome public infamy. So what do I mean by infamy? Infamy is not just a mistake. It's likely a trait … Continue reading Infamy →

Remember

#Beingaleader means you have to remember. Remember where you've come from. Remember what you and your team has already accomplished. Remember what got you to where you are today. Remember. #Beingaleader means you need to remember where you've come from. You've come a long ways. Sometimes our focus is so future-centric that we fear we … Continue reading Remember →

Timid

#Beingaleader means you sometimes have to fight being timid. Even if it's in your nature to be timid. You can't always allow yourself to be so. Or to remain timid too long. Being timid is when you lack confidence. You're afraid of what might happen depending on what decision you make. Or you're lacking the … Continue reading Timid →

Humility

#Beingaleader means that you need humility. Not humiliation. Humility. One happens to you. The other is something you have. It's who you are. Humiliation is when you do something stupid and it turns out into a situation that embarrasses you or your team. This should be avoided as much as possible. It is something that … Continue reading Humility →

Lessons Learned

#Beingaleader means you need to lead a life of lessons learned. The good. The bad. And the ugly. Not just go through the lessons. But lessons learned. Meaning, are you going to have to keep doing the same thing over and over or are you finally going to learn to move on and through them? … Continue reading Lessons Learned →

Timeliness

#Beingaleader means that timeliness is an important quality you have. When something happens, and in what order, often matters. Turning in an "A" paper late is an "F" in many cases. Timeliness matters. There is a sequence to life and to most projects. There is often a life cycle for the team. #Beingaleader means you … Continue reading Timeliness →