Published in The Startup·PinnedMentor, Jump In and Rescue, or Coach?How to manage when there’s a struggle or stumble — This morning I was curious what results if you Google “should I mentor, coach, direct.” I pictured a manager faced with a team member who is struggling or has recently stumbled, and she’s trying to decide what to say or do. In most such scenarios, there is a right answer…Leadership4 min read
Dec 15, 2021A Dementia Patient and Her MooseOde to the woman I loved most — Did you see the moose?” the little old lady asked, her voice little more than a whisper, soft and thin. She pointed feebly. Since she had aged, and dementia had taken hold, Mom spoke less from her diaphragm. …Dementia7 min read
Aug 25, 2021Use Affirmations in Your Exec Suite to Boost Capacity for SuccessYes your team is full of accomplished C-suite leaders. Do it anyway. — During a recent day spent with one of my CEO clients, the cofounder and longtime leader of a fast-growing healthcare-technology company, I observed a vivid example of the power of a clever, wildly useful tool for boosting capacity in fellow leaders. My client and his CFO were meeting to consider…Management5 min read
Published in The KickStarter·Mar 30, 2021Executive Coaches Are Not ConsultantsKnow your options when facing a leadership challenge — Yesterday I walked a former boss and old friend through the fundamental difference between executive coaching and management consulting. He’s a longtime CEO and general global-business superstar, yet he held a misconception I find common among CEOs, which is that executive coaching is a type of consulting engagement. …Coaching5 min read
Published in The Startup·Feb 3, 2021Is Executive Coaching for Me?Four questions to help the small or medium business leader know — If you don’t know exactly what executive coaching is, you may be in a majority. Outside of large corporations, misconceptions about executive coaching abound. It’s an observation that in my line of work, I find particularly true among leaders of small- to medium-sized businesses. It’s unfortunate because, in many ways…Executive Coach5 min read
Published in The Startup·Feb 3, 2021Cheat Sheet to Making Your Business’s Big DecisionsChoose with confidence in 6 short steps — Is your job one that routinely requires you to make big, hairy choices? The kind that could reap big rewards for your organization or end up really costly? The kind that could affect the livelihoods of your people? CEOs and other business leaders are forced to make major decisions almost…Management3 min read
Published in The Startup·Jan 7, 2021Open Your Despair-Release ValveThree techniques to get through your workday when it seems the world has gone mad — This morning, the continued cries of shock and despair in my Facebook feed over the siege of the U.S. Capitol are punctuated by memes about the folly of now attempting to concentrate on a desk job. I get it. I allowed myself to go to bed last night in a…Despair3 min read
Published in The Startup·Nov 19, 2020I Talked My Boss Into Meditating; It Didn’t WorkA little lesson about proselytizing — My former boss attempted meditation after I urged him, a micro-campaign that started innocently enough. One day he told me he appreciated that I tend to stay calm under pressure. I gave credit to my morning meditation practice. Had I stopped there, I would have followed my rule against carrying…Meditation3 min read
Published in The Startup·Nov 11, 2020Pure Decisiveness Is OverratedThis more nuanced variety is the domain of great leaders — Decisiveness is a trait of great leaders. It conveys confidence, boldness, and courage. If a CEO wants her team to consistently perform at high levels, one of the most important things she can do is be reliably decisive. Yet what I’ve learned from decades of observation as a consultant to…Decisiveness5 min read
Published in Curious·Nov 6, 2020Small Daily Choices Are Where Our Integrity Is RevealedChoose wisely — Twenty-five or so years ago, sitting on a remote North Carolina beach, I got the idea that I wanted to live my life in a manner that was principled and decent. The idea had occurred to me before, in an adolescent way. …Personal Development5 min read
