While Joe was outstanding at pretty much every technical aspect in the department, there was one thing he didn’t have to worry about when he accepted the lead role; he never seemed all that bothered about alienating long term friendships. I think that was largely a result of him being able to frustr...

If you ever had the pleasure of watching Bo Jackson play football or baseball, or you remember anything TV ads from the late 80s or early 90s, I’m guessing my “Joe Knows” phrase immediately reminded you of Nike’s Bo Jackson campaign. And just in case it’s not ringing a bell, let’s take a short walk ...

Since we now have a solid understanding of how a poor promotion can kill profitability, let’s dig into what we need to look for when considering existing team members for a leadership role we need to fill in our organizations. I’ve seen firsthand just how valuable an internal promotion process can b...

The art of leadership learning is the intuitive piece of gaining the right skills to lead effectively.  It’s not the science of leadership although we’ll talk about that soon. These skills enable you to see ahead further than others may see, to not only learn leadership but apply what you learn for ...

While some great team members have no interest whatsoever in climbing the company ladder, far more will jump at the chance whether it’s the right move for them or not! In some cases, their technical expertise and tenure give them an edge over every other candidate being considered. Don’t misundersta...

One of the first people I remember meeting on an assembly line, when I finally made it to the shop floor after nine full days of orientation, was a fellow named Phil. He was the day shift lead on that line and had been for long enough to have earned a reputation that even a hard headed and strong wi...

An article from Forbes.com called Promoting Wrong People Hurts Employee Retention and Productivity opens by stating “Managers are key to employee retention and productivity. But many companies don’t promote into management the people who would do the best job as managers.” 

A separate article from ...

Leaders face problems every day.  Some are mere challenges to overcome and be better for it.  Many times they are problems to be appreciated and solved.  As leaders, we know solving problems is a skill we need to continually hone and develop because there will always be a need! 

When we learn to a...

I’ll say it one last time as we close this look at capturing the profitability that’s killed when no one is held accountable: accountability isn’t all about cracking the ole whip! In fact, the most effective leaders I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with or even studying from a distance were nev...

Strangely enough, my emphasis on addressing specific behaviors that are in direct conflict with expected performance standards often seem to be interpreted as insistence on throwing the proverbial baby out with that bathwater… Many supervisors, managers, or even casual readers of some of the work I ...

The best leaders I (Cindy) know have learned the Art of Leadership as much or more than the Science of Leadership. 

The Art of Leadership Learning is the intuitive piece of gaining the right skills to lead effectively.  It’s not the Science of Leadership, although that is important. It's the Art o...

Whether we can tie it directly to a profit & loss statement or not, the costs any organization incurs when no one is held accountable are significant. Quite honestly, those costs can be so high and can spread across so many areas of a business that it’s almost impossible to imagine leaders not recog...