Blog
By: Josh
In 1987, Paul O’Neill took over as CEO of Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America. A century earlier, the company’s founder invented the process of smelting aluminum and Alcoa had enjoyed long-held success up to this point – consistent investors, strong returns, and a...
By: Josh
What are your organization’s defined values? Do you know them?
What about your people, do they know your organization’s values?
More importantly, what do these values do? How do they guide the day-to-day attitudes and behaviors of individuals and the collective group?
I...
By: Josh
I was standing among a small huddle of senior leaders within my organization and witnessed a really interesting conversation take place. All the leaders were very experienced, serving in senior positions amongst their 700-person departments. In this huddle, they were talking casually...
By: Shawn
Organizational norms often elevate leaders to near-mythical entities, as if they exist in a realm entirely separate from the very teams they are tasked to direct. Leaders are often viewed solely as organizational decision-makers, and rarely do you hear a leader characterized as a...
By: Josh
Where does humility rank on your list of most important leader qualities? I imagine it is not necessarily one that makes it toward the top of many of our lists, let alone a quality we initially think of at all. Socially, groups tend to rally around bold, brash, and charismatic...
By: Josh
Several years ago, I was transitioning out of a job managing a mid-level team of about 100 people (company command for the Army readers out there) and into a new role in a different organization. I loved this team and had given everything I had to them over the 18 months I had the...
By: Josh
Having moved into a new role on a new team a few months ago, I have felt a bit overwhelmed with what seems to be a mountain of tasks requiring immediate attention. While my team and I have been working diligently to get into a sustainable rhythm, we have been in a sort of crisis mode...
By: Josh
Are you a critical leader, a pessimistic one, or an optimistic one? Let’s consider a thought by famed businessman and leadership author, Max De Pree:
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a...
By: Josh
Why should people follow you? What makes you credible in your peoples’ eyes and the eyes of the organization?
Popular leadership author, John Maxwell, describes that if you think you are leading and turn around to see no one following you, then you are just taking a walk.
So, why...
By: Josh
Leaders are busy. We have meetings, engagements, emails, decision to assess and make, and the hope to manage time to enable personal growth and reflection…all in a single day. And we still strive to get out of the office to be with and pour into your family. It’s easy to get...
By: Josh
How do you solicit and receive feedback as a leader? Do you? How regularly if so?
We require feedback for our growth as leaders. Nothing is more important for our self-awareness than understanding how people view and receive us. We can reflect, take self-assessments, and gain new...
By: Josh
“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”
Looking back at his 35...
By: Josh
We can pull inspiration and conviction from a lot of different sources in life. And while I don't really consider social media to be one of those regular sources for me, I was surprised to recently find a post that did just that - offered a little inspiration and a little conviction,...
By: Josh
I am preparing to transition out of a challenging role and a season at work that was defined by long hours, a consistently overwhelming list of tasks and responsibilities, the need to manage organizational issues and urgencies every day, and not enough time accomplish half these things....
By: Josh
I used to work with a colleague who was incredibly smart. He simply knew a lot of things about…A LOT of things, both within our work and beyond it. He was well read, informed about current events, and could engage on almost any topic. I respected him for his vast knowledge, and he...
By: Josh
Mark Twain’s quote, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead,” is a message that regularly emerges in my mind. Whether it’s writing for work, writing for 3x5, or talking about writing with others, I’m reminded of his...
By: JJ
You and your team have just finished a significant amount of work crafting a clear and purpose driven vision statement. You’ve carefully laid out your long-term goals, developed the strategy necessary to achieve those goals, and are motivated to get after it. Now fast-forward six...
By: Josh
The less I talk, the better the discussion.
This is a philosophy that guides how I lead, engage with others, run meetings, and facilitate developmental sessions. There is power in questions. They create space, opportunity, engagement, and creativity. Questions can create meaningful...
By: Josh
Two podcasts I regularly listen to each end with a consistent question. One asks, “What advice would you give to young, emerging leaders?” The other inquires, “What have you changed your mind about recently?”
Curious, hungry, and committed leaders seek advice....
By: Shawn
Think back to the last time you actually stopped someone and asked them for directions. Not so long ago, this was a pretty common occurrence, and we placed our full trust in a random stranger on the side of the road. Now, with instant access to numerous digital maps, many of us prefer...
By: Josh
When I think of what ownership on a team looks and sounds like, there are three enduring examples that stick out to me.
The first is from L. David Marquet’s book, Turn the Ship Around!, where he shares his ship’s three-name rule. When any member of the crew...
By: Josh
Leadership is connecting with others and developing them.
It’s identifying the need for organizational change and leading those monumental efforts.
It’s crafting deliberate, intentional messages and communication.
It’s investing in stakeholders, building relationships,...
By: Sam
Open your favorite news app, scroll through your go-to social media page, or, if you are feeling daring, turn on the live news. With today’s nearly limitless access to information, I have found myself overwhelmed by information. But it wasn’t until a few months ago that I...
By: Josh
When you think back to all the bosses you’ve had over your career – who are the intentional, positive, and inspiring ones you remember?
What about them and how they led makes them memorable for you still today?
In my first year working after graduating college, I remember one...
