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Mistakes happen and are almost always a result of human error – which means they aren’t going away anytime soon. While we need to strive to prevent as many mistakes as possible, we also need to respond appropriately when they happen. Here are some of the most common reactions when confronted with an error and a few suggestions on a better way to respond.
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The toughness of Navy Seals has become well known through movies like Lone Survivor and American Sniper. Becoming part of this elite group requires surviving grueling tests of mental, emotional, and physical toughness. And then there is the infamous bell. The bell is ever present while the Seal trainees endure the intense exercises; and all they must do to quit and receive a nice meal, hot shower, and clean bed is to ring it three times. So when is it the right time to quit and ring the bell in your life, and when it is better to think twice?
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Few things are more energizing than getting to watch a gifted leader at work. And, few things are more irritating than watching an incompetent person pretend to lead! Leaders with influence have a healthy blend of ability complimented by confidence. Here is a simple matrix to identify four types of leaders. Where are you? And where are members of your team?
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“We can’t find any new employees!” “Younger employees sure don’t stay in one job for very long.” Our consulting team hears statements like these a lot. The struggle to find and retain qualified employees is partly a result of low unemployment and economic growth. It is also an outcome of parents providing more financial coverage for their adult kids than in past generations. And shockingly, 71% of today’s young people do not even qualify for military service! No wonder you can’t find any qualified younger employees! But, some of this issue can also be pinned on leaders and employers. We need to have realistic expectations – it is unlikely that most employees under age 40 will make a lifetime career in the business, church or nonprofit that you lead. We often say that if you can retain a capable team member for five years, you are doing well. Here are seven actions that each of us can take to help create a higher retention environment among our teams.
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“There is nothing new under the sun.” This well-known phrase found in the Bible was written thousands of years ago and yet captures very well the nature of human behavior today. I was reminded of it after reading the book Bad Blood by John Carreyrou which is about Theranos, the fast-to-rise and fast-to-collapse blood testing company. Thinking about this company and its leaders reminded me of many other deceptive leaders like Bernie Madoff (leader of the largest financial fraud case in U.S. history) and Jack Bennett, founder of the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy (a Ponzi scheme that negatively impacted 1,100 individuals, churches and nonprofits). While most deceptive leaders do not become as infamous as Bernie Madoff, they do have some things in common in faking their way to success.
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For the first time in recorded history, there will be more people in the world over the age of 65 than under the age of 5. Here is what the aging population will mean for our organizations in terms of the workforce, health care, education, and spiritual outreach.
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Bad things happen when we least expect it. The economy turns upside down. Enrollment in your school declines. Registrations in your camp go flat. A new technology results in a rapid decline in your business. Your pastor unexpectedly dies. While not everything is predictable, we as leaders should know that our organization’s sustainability is only one step away from an economic downturn, a loss of a key staff member, or an unexpected change in competition or market preferences. Here are 10 ways to make your vision more sustainable.
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America is one of the wealthiest countries but also one of the most stressed out. According to Gallup’s 2019 Global Emotions Report, 55% of Americans feel stressed for much of each day. Here are five actions to help you move from stressed to satisfied.
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Do you ever feel a twinge of doubt when you hear pithy phrases that sound true but don’t tell the whole story? There are a lot of these when it comes to leadership. Here are 5 of the more popular ones and why they may sound smart but can prove to be dumb.
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We have seen a number of leaders make the decision to move outside of what is comfortable and safe to what is so much greater… to what could be. Here are four things needed to help your organization move to "what could be."
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Every organization has a visible side and a somewhat invisible side also known as… the shadow side. This is the unhealthy underlying organization within the organization. Sometimes the shadow side is inactive, like a dormant cancer cell in the body. When it is inactive, it is somewhat harmless. But when it becomes active, things can get ugly very fast. Here are the warning signs of an active shadow side and what to do to advance the health of the organization.
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Everyone wants to be “exceptional.” The 15-year-old high school basketball player who aspires to be an NBA player. The 24-year-old who dreams about becoming a successful entrepreneur. But becoming exceptional doesn’t just happen. Here are 5 things that can help make you exceptional.
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The average person gossips for about 52 minutes a day, but surprisingly, only a small fraction is negative in nature. Here are six ways to tell if your conversation is malignant and if it’s time to change the direction of your conversation.
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Many people wish they were “the boss,” but in reality, most people are not and never will be. But those in supportive positions can have a serious impact by leading even when they are not in charge. If they are good at what they do, they make the noise go away for the person they serve. Here are five ways you too can effectively lead without being in charge.
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What are you willing to sacrifice for your goals? I recently read that 24% of millennials would give up sex for a year if they could retire by age 50! And 34% of all survey respondents said they'd stay off social media for a year to accomplish the same goal (Wealthsimple). Reading this is a reminder that few goals can be accomplished without sacrifice. And, is the goal even worth the sacrifice? Here are five questions to help you think through your goals and the sacrifice and delayed gratification involved.
Read More![7 Life Principles That Will Not Let You Down [INFOGRAPHIC] - The Center Consulting Group - Leadership Coaching and Consulting for Businesses, Churches, and Nonprofits](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571fc0ea1d07c0fd6d72c167/1558369580628-HMFHNK0FXS8Q2Q6SYCOM/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPqQfq0L3n3wpHIsRapTfg8UqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKczo5Zn4xktlpMsMj-QlHXeMfNK6GwvtVkYEWiR8XAPyD3GfLCe_DXOSC_YcAacWL_/7+Life+Principles+That+Will+Not+Let+You+Down.jpg)
One word that we hear a lot from leaders today is BUSY. It is this sense of busyness and stress that often hinders us from reading and the pursuit of learning. Here are 7 life principles, one for each day of the week. It will only require about 3 minutes each day to read the principle and apply it to your life and leadership. Even while managing the busyness of life, it is important to keep growing and learning!
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How do nasty leaders and managers get away with being toxic? And sometimes, the worse they behave, the more they earn! Here are 5 reasons why toxic leaders get away with their behavior.
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When was the last time you heard yourself or another leader acknowledge being insecure? Almost never, right? Yet, every leader has some insecurities, if they aren’t too insecure to acknowledge them. A tinge of jealousy. A sense of doubt. A hint of fear. A lack of confidence. Insecurities are often surfaced when someone other than yourself is complimented, given recognition, or promoted. We may ignore them or deny them, but insecurities are there and when left unmanaged, can damage our relationships, our credibility, and even harm the organizations we lead. Here are 7 of the most common insecurities that can hold good leaders back.
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Leading change can be challenging, but one would think the medical profession would be the most open to change. After all, they are smart, science-oriented, evidence-based professionals and therefore unbiased, right? Not exactly. I was recently reminded of this when I read a PBS News Hour article on medicine. My conclusion from the article: change is hard. Period. Here are five transferable principles from medicine to leadership on dealing with the challenges of leading change.
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Leaders are complicated people. And to think a single word can describe us would be the definition of over-simplification. But we all do have patterns and tendencies that result in a word or two (or three) becoming the labels for which we are known. Here are 7 of the most common words we have seen leaders lead with. Some are not so nice. Others are much more appealing. Which ones best reflect you?
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