Master the Art, Science, & Practice of Leadership
If you follow sports, you probably heard the news of Sabastian Sawe's superhuman feat of becoming the first person ever to run a sub 2-hour marathon. Following the win, Sawe’s coach sent a note to Brad Stulberg that ended saying: "Confidence is based on
I used to ride the Amtrak train from DC to New York City regularly. The train has a “quiet car”—a section where everyone is supposed to be quiet so you can sleep or get some work done. People use the quiet car because they want serenity,
You just don’t seem to “click” with this new manager. Or despite trying different tactics you just can’t seem to connect with your teenager. All of us have been in some version of this dynamic both at work and home. Invariably this leads us
In leadership, your persuasiveness is contingent upon one question people are always asking: Can I trust the person behind the message? That’s the key idea behind the ancient Greek concept of Ethos . Originally meaning "habitat" or "character," Aristotle considered ethos, or the appeal to
Recently, a client asked for a book recommendation on leadership. I asked what problem she was trying to solve. Leading effectively is one thing. On the other hand, if she aimed to get ahead in the career game, leadership is only but one of many factors. The problem with run-
Consider a recent difficult experience at work. Perhaps it was a meeting where your idea was criticized, even dismissed. Or a performance review that was less feedback and more an indictment. “Nothing personal, just business” they say. But it sure hurts. How we process these frustrations fundamentally affects
Why is it that, despite claims to be otherwise, organizational life remains so persistently messy, even stupid sometimes? In his now forgotten classic Of Human Interaction , Joseph Luft, one of the originators of the Johari Window model, highlights some key assumptions and the philosophy behind it. We operate under the
Sensitive, active listening is exceedingly rare in our lives. We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know . — Carl Rogers Listen, or your tongue
If you were to believe all the ChatGPT generated slop on LinkedIn, you’d be convinced that to lead effectively, you must maintain a certain image that’s calm, authoritative, and in control. ALWAYS. From this perspective, leadership, and so-called “executive presence”, is a performance
It’s common to associate effective leadership with a cool, detached rationality. We assume that if the facts are right and the plan sound, people naturally follow. Yet, how often have you presented a perfectly reasoned plan only to see it met with indifference? Why is it that logic
Consider for a moment the last time you followed a directive at work that you privately questioned, or disliked. Why did you comply? Was it the fear of reprimand, or was it a more reflexive sense that the person giving the order had the right to do so? This difference
Most of us have facets of our lives where things are just not up to the mark. We’d like things to be different, but somehow it hasn’t panned out. And equally likely, we already know what needs to be done and how to go about it.
Joseph Luft in his now forgotten classic Of Human Interaction , has a section on leadership archetypes I found particularly useful, and entertaining. He based these archetypes — ancient patterns in how we influence others — on the work of anthropologist Merrill Jackson, which explains why these are uncannily accurate. Luft
Why do we feel an instinctive sense of trust when interacting with some people, while others leave us with a vague sense of unease, as if interacting with a polished but hollow shell? This is especially relevant to effective leadership — you might be saying all the right things, but
Why is it that the most critical information is often the very thing that remains unsaid? Leaders tend to operate under the illusion that communication is a simple, linear process of "telling"—setting direction, articulating values, and dispensing expertise. Or at best an “exchange”.