Compliments via comparisons are too common. If you are a leader you have likely received them and given them. “My son is learning so much more in your class this year than he did last year.” “It is great to finally have someone who executes well in this role.” “For the first time in a…
Self-Awareness
2 Reasons We Ignore Our Weaknesses Instead of Addressing Them
The common leadership counsel to focus on your strengths is wise, with one important caveat. Your weaknesses must be addressed and brought to an acceptable norm or they will overshadow your strengths. Yes, focus on your strengths, but your weaknesses cannot be so overwhelming as to debilitate your leadership credibility. In his book, The Leadership…
3 Common Blind Spots in Leaders
One of my mentors, Brad Waggoner, has regularly quipped, “Most people struggle with self-awareness, so why would I think I am somehow different from everyone else?” He is right. Everyone struggles with self-awareness to a degree, and we are foolish if we think we are immune. Our lack of self-awareness in life and leadership is…
5 Warning Signs of Moral Failure
Moral failure. For as long as I can remember people have used that term to succinctly describe a disqualifying behavior in a leader’s life, often some type of sexual sin. The leader has failed to live up to the expected morals and integrity of a leader and has lost the moral authority and credibility to…
Links for Leaders 6/8/18
3 Weak Phrases You Should Drop From Your Leadership—Scott Cochrane Here’s the point. When you’re a leader, you know that people listen to your every word. So choose your words carefully. And pay as much attention to the words and phrases you don’t say, as you do to the words you do say. Take Care…
3 Reasons Leaders Are Wise to Recognize Their Weaknesses
When a basketball player attempts to do too much on the court, the person is called a “ball hog” or chided for playing “hero ball.” Being a ball hog looks like not trusting your teammates, taking impossible shots instead of giving the ball to a teammate for a much easier one, and insisting that everything…
3 Downsides of Thinking You Are Better Than You Are
Most speakers think they are better speakers than they actually are. Most leaders think they are better leaders than reality says they are. And most professional football players, according to John Madden, think they are better than they actually are. John Madden played, coached, and commentated professional football, but he is perhaps most known for…
3 Items That Should Be on Your “Stop Doing” List
The second law of thermodynamics revolves around entropy, the principle that things move to disorder and chaos over time. Left alone, things do not become more orderly or more effective. Your once well-ordered garage digresses to clutter. No matter how much you attempt to wish it into existence, your garage will not get more clean…
Links for Leaders 10/6/17
The Ineffectiveness of a Team Without a Leader—Ron Edmondson An organizational team without a leader is like an athletic team without a coach. Would you recommend that for your favorite sports team? I love leading through teams, but in addition to making sure people know what’s expected of them, we have to make sure every…
3 Signs of a Childish Christian
“If you don’t want me to treat you like a child, don’t act like a child.” “Act your age, not your shoe size.” “Come on sweetie. You are ten years old. I should not have to remind you to brush your teeth.” “Son, you are in middle school. YES, you need to take a shower.”…