How To Get Your Startup a Halo
How would you like your startup to win deals not only when you win a customer evaluation, but when you tie — and even sometimes when you lose? That sounds great. But is it even possible? Amazing, yes — but you need have a halo effect working to your advantage. What is a halo effect? Per […]
Do You Want to be Judged on Intentions or Results?
It was early in my career, maybe 8 years in, and I was director of product marketing at a startup. One day, my peer, the director of marketing programs hit me with this in an ops review meeting: You want to be judged on intentions, not results. I recall being dumbfounded at the time. Holy […]
10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Moving into Management
I went looking for a post to help someone decide if they should move into management, but couldn’t find one that I really loved. These three posts aren’t bad. Nor is this HBR article. But since I couldn’t find a post that I thought nails the spirit of the question, I thought I’d write one myself. […]
Dynamic Leadership – A Responsive And Responsible Approach #Davos17 #WEF
Today’s Leadership Models Fail To Address Responsive And Responsible Leadership The World Economic Forum kicks off January 17th to 20th in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. As the global theme for the annual meeting, responsive and responsible leadership begins a lofty conversation about the qualities required to bring generations together, create inclusiveness in growth opportunities, and to bridge […]
The Opportunity Cost of Debating Facts
I read this New York Times editorial: How the Truth Got Hacked, and it reminded me of a situation at work, back when I first joined Host Analytics some four years ago. This line, in particular, caught my attention: Imagine the conversation we’d be having if we weren’t debating facts. Back when I joined Host Analytics, […]
The Three Golden Rules of Feedback
I was speaking to my executive coach the other day and we had a great discussion of feedback. I’m going to adapt what she said into some pithy advice for managers on how to give feedback. Here are the three golden rules of feedback It has to be honest It has to be kind It […]
We’re Not Buddies: Thoughts on Managers Too Preoccupied with Being Liked
I always cringe when I hear a young parent say something like, “Hey Buddy, don’t forget your toy shovel.” I feel the same way when I hear managers call subordinates “buddy” or when I see managers who are, in general, too preoccupied with being liked. One day I wish the toddler would reply: You are […]
Whose Team Is It Anyway? The 90 Day Rule.
Say you’re an experienced executive joining a new company. When you start, you inherit a team of people. The first thing you must realize is that over time, “the team” will silently transform into “your team.” Warts and all, you’re going to fully own that team at some point in time. In the beginning, you might […]
Two lessons from Muhammad Ali on leadership
I’m sitting listening to the many tributes and reactions on the sad death of the greatest boxer of all time, the man who BBC viewers voted sports personality of the 20th century, somebody who was instrumental as an activist in the US civil rights movement of the 60s, who has died at the age of […]
“Are you saying the map’s wrong?” – “Oh dear, yes!” – an example of Liminal Thinking
Earlier this week I met with Dave Gray and he gave me an advance copy of his new book, and then I went to his talk at Postshift on Wednesday night. He talked Liminal Thinking, so what is that? You might know that I am a huge fan of The West Wing (and Aaron Sorkin’s […]
