In leadership, kindness is not weakness. Rather, to be effective, a leader must develop an authentic sense of empathy that can help forge the deepest of connections. Kindness is action-oriented, and is an essential component to influencing lasting impact. Think of the qualities you have found in leaders who have had the greatest personal impact in…
How To Escape The 5 Dangers of Fire-Drill Leadership
If everything is an emergency, nothing is an emergency. The truth of this leadership axiom is lost on many leaders who seem to lurch their leadership, and their team, from one panic-riddled crisis to another. I was once on a team led by such a leader. “All hands on deck!”, “Emergency meeting!” and “Everyone into the conference room,…
5 Keys For Leaders To Read The Bible In A Year
I am just completing my 21st year in a row reading through the Bible cover to cover. This practice is one that fills my spiritual tank and which provides the fuel that drives my leadership. But like many others, I found it to be a very challenging discipline at first. Simply starting at Genesis and plowing…
How To Harness The Power Of Leadership Intelligence
Can you read a spreadsheet? Good. Leaders must do that. Can you design a strategy? Good. Leaders must do that too. Can you execute a plan? Good. Leader must also do that. But effective leadership also involves softer skills. Can you read a room? Can you sense the emotional temperature of a team? Can you discern which way…
Is Optimism the Worst Way To Lead? Here’s How to Tell
As a leader are you supposed to be an optimist, a pessimist, an idealist, or a realist? The answer is “yes”. The key is knowing when to be which. This is not about being inauthentic. The reality is, in some circumstances a leader must be a grim-faced pessimist, while in others it requires being a…