I am humbled by the leaders who have continued to produce at high levels during the past two years. Think about the intense layer of challenges they have been facing during these unprecedented times: A global pandemic that forced an instant disconnect with remote teams The need to support employees struggling with the uncertainties about [...]
The relentless pace and uncertainty of business today is taking a serious toll on all of us. Leaders might strive to be purpose-driven, impactful and innovative, but they are often hijacked by constant crisis management and the pressure to give everyone a voice. As if that’s not enough, add in the exhaustion of trying to [...]
It’s that time of year when business pundits and influencers are making their predictions for 2022. Perhaps that was in the back of my mind as I was watching Showtime’s hit series Billions over the holidays. If you’ve never seen it, I can tell you it focuses on the shameless world of Wall Street hedge funds, and [...]
Some leaders approach the end of the year as a time to reflect on their achievements in the previous 11 months or to start creating goals for the new year. But to be honest, most of the leaders I’ve spoken with lately say that it simply represents a shorter distance to the finish line. “If I [...]
In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, I’d like to share some of my insights about the natural characteristics among Hispanic professionals that tend to make them influential and charismatic leaders. What qualifies me to weigh in on this topic? My father is a second-generation Hispanic from Mexico. I also grew up in the border [...]
Prickly discussion topics have been rippling through workplaces since 2020, and today’s leaders are getting plenty of industry advice about how to handle them. Just check out these business journal headlines: “How to moderate the work-from-home debates that are dividing companies nationwide.” “How to facilitate conversations with your team about social unrest and lapses in [...]
I’ve been intrigued in recent years by the number of experienced leaders — many of them strong communicators — who have told me the same thing: The hardest part of having tough conversations is getting started. Maybe you need to address a serious performance problem. Deliver bad news. Find a compromise during a heated argument. What’s [...]
If you randomly asked someone to describe the qualities of a great leader, you’d probably get these types of responses: confident, energetic, decisive and results-oriented. Are those accurate? Yes. However, I’d quickly qualify that with a “Yes, but…” I’ve often written about the paradox of leadership. Bottom line, it’s not as cut and dried as most [...]
We’re on the verge of a brand-new era in business. Covid-19 precautions are loosening. Some team members are heading back into the office, while others opt to remain virtual. But no matter where these employees choose to work, there’s a very high probability that they are exhausted and frazzled. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t be? [...]
Most people would agree that 2020 was a rough year, but there’s one group that felt the pain in a unique way: leaders. While they were personally struggling to process the uncertainty of the pandemic, they were also bombarded with information about how to help their team members navigate the situation. They felt responsible for monitoring [...]