Leadership, much like parenting, the approach we take can leave lasting impressions on those we guide. Akin to parents we aspire for our team members to reflect positively on their experiences, and to recall a nurturing, empowering, and supportive environment. However, it’s equally vital to consider what we don't want our teams to say, such as feeling micromanaged, witnessing our self-neglect, or not being given the room to grow and make independent decisions.

What Would They Say?

So you did it. You finished your project and are wondering what happens when we finally hit that last keystroke, when the task we've been toiling over reaches its long-awaited conclusion.

Now What?

Typically, it's either a 1 for success or a 0 for failure, with our mood swinging to the rhythm of our code's performance. We were riding the high of every seamless commit, but equally, a single bug or delayed dependency could send us into a tailspin. It was a rollercoaster, and not always the thrilling kind.

Navigating With Grace and Grit

The moment has arrived. We're on the cusp of something monumental.

Are You Ready?

Playing it safe is the fastest route to mediocrity. That's a promise. You're sitting in that chair for a reason, and that reason doesn't include sitting back and coasting, just hitting inbox zero or perfecting your PowerPoint skills. Your team looks up to you to guide them and lead the charge in tearing down walls and building new paradigms.

Don't Play it Safe

You spoke to them gently when they were small, why should that ever change?

Your Woice Was Their Very First Home

Ever been branded "exhausting" because you refuse to stop tightening the bolts before the car hits the freeway? Good. Stop asking permission, rip the rusted script out of the build, and prove that noise is just momentum in disguise. Exhaust is thrust, and leave the status quo in the rear-view mirror

Exhaust is Thrust 🔥🚀

You tell your team you support them because it’s the right thing to say. Because you mean it. Because they need to hear it. But do they really know?

Be an Advocate

You’re in a meeting with your team, discussing the next big project. One of your team members starts to propose a few tweaks to the plan. You have a choice, dismiss them or listen.

Listen or Lose

When you get upset because someone didn’t follow your exact instructions, what message are you sending? You’re telling them that their judgment and skills don’t matter. This kind of control can kill their initiative and confidence. Over time, your team members will stop thinking for themselves and just wait for you to tell them what to do, which is counterproductive to building a strong, capable team.

Empowerment Over Micromanagement

When your team does mess up, it is your responsibility to step in, clean up the mess, and set things right.

Lead Through the Mess and Embrace the Cleanup

Sometimes it seems like everyone is taking shortcuts. You might wonder, if everyone else is choosing the easy way, why shouldn’t I?

The Price of the Easy Path

Every time we shy away from a challenge, we lose a little piece of what we could become. Think about the times you’ve chosen the easier path, the comfort of the known over the risk of the unknown.

The Echoes of Missed Chances

When the chips are down and every obstacle seems like a never ending assembly line, that's when true champions are made. We remember legends for their grit in the face of adversity, not for their unchallenged successes. They didn’t earn their place in history by backing down; they did it by standing strong when everything was against them.

A Call to Keep Fighting

Resilience is often revered as a superpower. The ability to recover from setbacks effortlessly. However, the constant use of our resilience can be exhausting. Every day, we brace for the next challenge and steel ourselves for the next disruption, always on alert. Whether at work or home, the demands are relentless.

Proactivity or Reactivity

You're there again—staring down another day where it feels like everything that could go wrong, does.

Keeping Your Cool Takes Practice

Ever feel like your work just disappears into a black hole? You're throwing your best efforts out there, wondering if anyone even notices. Then, suddenly, someone acknowledges your efforts. Just like that, the void doesn't feel so vast anymore. It's as if someone flipped on a light in a dark room, proving that you're not just shouting into the void after all.

Your Words Matter? Shocking.

Once you were the life of the meeting room, you now find yourself in the curious position of needing to zip it. As you ascend the dizzying heights of the corporate ladder, you'll discover a shocking truth: your spoken words, once free-flowing and abundant, now carry a heavier weight. Suddenly, it's less about how much you say and more about the artful dance of saying just enough.

The Fine Art of Shutting Up

Have you ever been in a meeting and just nodding along? Everyone else seems to be following every point and catching every curveball tossed their way. Meanwhile, your mind is racing, trying to piece together the puzzle without letting on that you’ve lost the plot. The moment of truth arrives when everybody looks straight at you, looking for a solution or decision. Oh crap.

Curiosity Unites Teams

Have you ever witnessed a leader lost in the chaos of their own making, tossing out orders like confetti at a parade, yet failing to build any sort of direction within their team? A flurry of commands here, a cascade of tasks over there, but amidst the noise there was a crucial element missing... listening. What happens to a team when its leader is so engulfed in the act of directing that they become deaf to the team's feedback, needs, and insights?

Listening in Chaos

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, the urge to keep it under wraps is natural. We think, 'Maybe I can fix this before anyone notices.' But here's the heart of it: reaching out for help isn't a sign of weakness; it's a step towards making things right. Communicating up the chain when a mistake happens allows you to open the door to solutions, to collective brainstorming, and to the kind of support that can only come when everyone's in the loop.

The Strength in Sharing Setbacks

When was the last time you've been on the edge of a conversation you've been dreading? Maybe it was with someone known for their confrontational stance, someone who doesn't take criticism lightly, or no matter what you say it just doesn't seem like it's the right thing.

Navigating Tough Conversations for Growth

The impact you make as a leader resonates far beyond the confines of current projects or the immediate team. Creating a legacy of trust is something often maybe not neglected, but not fully understood for its potential. A profound bond that extends its reach into the future, touching lives and shaping careers long after roles and responsibilities have evolved.

Deepening Trust Through Enduring Leadership

It can be challenging to see this during a tense team meeting, when opinions clash and tempers flare. It can be difficult to remember when a member of our or another team misses a deadline, or when there's a misunderstanding about who was responsible for what task. It can be hard to remember when teamwork feels more like a battle than a collaborative effort.

The Art of Teamwork

Collaboration extends far beyond mere cooperation; it's in the harmony of collaboration where beauty is born. A team's success is directly shaped by the quality of its collaboration.

Are You Truly Working Together?

Ever find yourself getting upset over small things? Traffic jams, a comment from a coworker, or a delayed flight can ruin your mood. Why give these inconveniences such power over your emotions?

It's Time to Pause and Reflect

Think about the leaders you admire. They usually possess a mix of skills and knowledge that go beyond their specific field. They understand more about life than just what they specialize in. This kind of broad understanding often comes from spending time alone, away from distractions.

Sometimes You Need to be Alone

In the late 1950s, America was in the midst of a Cold War with the Soviet Union. Tensions were high, and the stakes were even higher. One man found himself at the center of it all: President John F. Kennedy. Just a few months into his term, Kennedy faced one of the most significant challenges of his career—the Bay of Pigs invasion. The operation was a complete failure, resulting in a public relations nightmare and leaving the U.S. at a disadvantage in the Cold War chess game.

All The Cool Leaders Do It

Sometimes, leaders can't let go of their old jobs or ways of doing things. They keep looking back, checking in on things they used to do, even when they have a whole new set of responsibilities. This is like driving a car but always looking in the rearview mirror. What happens? You're going to crash or get stuck.

Let it Go

We've all been there. Someone offers up some advice you didn't ask for, and your gut reaction is to get defensive or brush it off. You might even get angry. But what if that advice, as annoying as it might be in the moment, is the missing link you've been looking for? What if it's that extra five percent you need to go from good to great, or even from stuck to unstoppable?

Unsolicited Advice Could Be a Game Changer

Once I had a boss who over-optimized the skill of negotiating job offers completely in favor of the company, haggling my worth like I was at yard sale.

A Paycheck is More Than Just Numbers

Leadership, particularly when it comes to matters of reputation and moral decision-making, is a matter of deep personal scrutiny. To effectively leading others, you have to first lead yourself, and that starts with self-reflection.

If You Don't Reflect, Others Will

You might not notice the change day by day, but one day you'll look back and realize you're not the same leader you were a year ago—and that's when you know self-reflection has done its job.

Change Isn't Sudden, Until It Is

You might be thinking right now about how much more your team could achieve if only they stopped seeing each other as competition. How much innovation is lost when people hoard their ideas, fearing someone else might get the credit? How many problems go unresolved because everyone thinks it's someone else's responsibility?

Stop Competing With Each Other

Leadership is often mischaracterized as a 'top-down' endeavor, a one-way flow from the decision-maker to the team. In that cramped vision, there’s no room for creative incubation, no space for team members to fully flourish. What if leadership, especially in complex, fast-paced environments, looked more like parenting in the David Deutsch sense of the term? What if leadership was about granting space, while also nurturing, to let ideas bloom and characters develop?

Give Your Team Space

Expectations just keep getting higher and higher. You're always asked for more more more.

Are You Being Honest With Yourself?

Imagine for a moment that you're an invisible presence at the office. You could walk through the walls and witness firsthand the impact of your leadership on your team. You could read their thoughts, feel their emotions. What would you never want to see? What would you never want them to feel?

What Does Your Picture Look Like?

You hear people talk about Plan B, that safety net, the fallback for when things don't go as planned. Of course, there’s also Plan C, D, and E too. Most of us know that having contingency plans is part of being responsible, part of being ready for the unexpected.

Today is a Good Day

You hear people talk about blame games, the way that colleagues shift responsibility, not owning up to their mistakes, or the mistakes they think others should be accountable for. Of course, there's self-blame too–all responsible professionals feel like they're falling short sometimes, like they're not doing enough, like they're not enough.

You Must Own It

After hiring your first team, every leader quickly grasps just how much more complex their life becomes. Your schedule is altered. Your priorities are shifted. How you approach daily tasks is different. Where you direct your energies is different. Team leadership is, in many ways, a substantial dose of unavoidable reality – a reality where control is not just in your hands.

You Can't Control Everything

You often hear about the guilt that people feel in their professional lives – that nagging sensation that they're not doing enough, not living up to their potential, or falling short of the high standards they've set for themselves. Sure, there's also the guilt that team members may feel, the belief that they're letting down their colleagues, that they're not good enough.

Focus on the Productive Things

Martin, the new team lead, wanted his team to take more initiative. They were used to their previous manager making decisions for them, so they were skeptical of Martin's approach. Martin persisted, investing time in one-on-one coaching and providing support. The team's confidence grew, and they delivered a successful project. Martin and his team learned that trust and accountability are values to be lived, fought for, and nurtured.

Everyone is Accountable

You made a bold change, but doubters made you question it. Then, a trusted voice affirmed your decision and gave you strength. True leadership requires courage and belief in yourself. So listen to those who matter, drown out the noise, and own your path.

Your Voice Matters

We all face those moments of doubt, staring at the choices ahead and wondering if we're making the right decisions. Is this the path to success or just a dead-end road? Should we take that promotion, invest in that project, and trust that person with an important task? The weight of accountability can feel crushing. 

The Road Will Be Challenging

Empower your team by trusting them to make decisions. This will help them grow and become more innovative. Don't micromanage, and don't be afraid to challenge them. When you do this, you'll unleash their potential and transform your team into a powerhouse.

Empower Your Team

Fear of accountability is like a shadow lurking in many of us. The thought that we might be caught making a mistake, that our shortcomings might be exposed, often sends us into a cold sweat. We shy away from responsibility, we make excuses, and we even lie to keep our imperfect selves hidden.

Don't Fear It

You've been there before, facing the aftermath of a mistake within your team. The room is tense, eyes are downcast, and disappointment hangs in the air. It's not about pointing fingers or laying blame. It's about understanding, growing, and moving forward.

Mistakes Happen

Accountability starts with you, but it extends to your team and organization. As you grow in seniority, your view of accountability matures to focus on collective impact, long-term objectives, and empowering others. Embrace this change and lead with purpose.

Your View Must Change As You Grow

Building a culture of transparency takes time, patience, and effort. It requires open communication, honesty, and trust. It's a journey, not a destination, but it's worth it to create a team that thrives, stands together, and reaches new heights.

It All Takes Time

Taking responsibility for your actions is essential for personal growth and professional success. It shows courage, commitment, and the ability to learn from mistakes. When things go wrong, don't look for someone else to blame. Instead, focus on what you can do to make things right. This mindset will empower you to turn challenges into opportunities and failures into foundations for future success.

But It's Not My Fault!

Excuses are comfortable. They're the cushion that softens the blow of failure, the justification that absolves us from the harsh judgment of self-reflection. But comfort has its price, and that price is growth. Every excuse, every rationalization that takes us away from owning our actions, stagnates our progress, diminishes our strength, and limits our potential.

Stop Making Excuses

In the automotive industry, where market demands shift and a single design flaw can cost millions, leading with transparency and accountability can make the difference between success and insolvency. For Ford Motor Company, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy in 2006, change was not just necessary—it was critical.

From Red Flags to Green Lights

Delegation is a powerful tool that can empower your team and help you achieve your goals. When done correctly, it can create a sense of trust, initiative, and responsibility. However, it's important to delegate with purpose and clarity, or it can have the opposite effect.

Delegation and Accountability

Ethan was a reliable employee but a neglectful father. His wife and children were hurt by his absences, and he eventually realized that he needed to find a better balance between his work and personal life.

Accountability Has Its Limits

Being human means we all have our moments of doubt, and sometimes, we might even stumble under the weight of trust placed upon us. But that's okay. Because it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being genuine in our efforts, our commitment, and our drive to do the best we can.

Who Do They Trust in a Time of Need?

We've all seen it, haven't we? When the person in charge doesn't have a plan, everyone else starts making up their own rules.

Are You Leading or Misleading Your Team?

Your actions within a team resonate throughout the group, influencing tone, culture, and performance. When you hold yourself accountable, you make a pact with your team and set a strong example. A lack of accountability can lead to missed goals, poor quality work, and a toxic team culture. By being accountable, you can build a stronger, more cohesive team that strives for success.

It Starts With You

Embracing accountability as a leader, rather than succumbing to anger, fosters trust, encourages innovation, and builds resilience in a team. An accountable leader transforms challenges into opportunities for growth, strengthening the team's adaptability and fostering a satisfying work environment. Thus, the true power of leadership lies in choosing responsibility over anger and reaping the multitude of benefits this choice offers.

Anger and Accountability

Accountability is the key to effective leadership. It builds trust and confidence, and it inspires others to follow your lead. When you make a promise, keep it. Own your words and actions, and never back down from a challenge. That's what separates leaders from followers.

Your Role and Accountability

Obstacles are tough but they can make you stronger, more creative, and more patient. They can also help you develop problem-solving skills and a sense of accomplishment. So don't give up when things get tough - embrace the challenge and see what you can achieve.

Problems With Your Plans are Opportunities

Good leaders listen, great leaders show their team how to see issues before they become problems.

Do You Talk to Each Other?

Good leaders push themselves and their teams to the limit, but they also know when to rest. By fostering an environment of risk-taking and tenacity, they help their teams unlock new levels of performance and potential. The measure of a leader is not how far they themselves can go, but how far they can inspire others to go.

Is Good... Enough?

Making hard choices shapes us. Disagreeing shows you're making your own decisions. Be clear about your reasons, don't point fingers, and help others get better. Disagreeing respectfully builds a team, not tears it down.

Saying No Without Saying No

Great leaders put people first, even if it means sacrificing numbers. Poor leaders do the opposite. If you're promoted while your team is laid off, be sensitive and advocate for your team. True leadership is tested in tough times.

You Need to Think

Don't compare your team's progress to others. Focus on your own goals and celebrate your team's unique strengths. With commitment and continuous effort, you will see growth and improvement.

What Are You Comparing Against?

Every decision you make today can shape your future. Make choices that serve both the present moment and your future goals. The ripples of your actions today can be felt years from now. Use your 1,440 minutes wisely to build your future, one decision at a time.

The Art of Balancing Now and Later

Being a leader is a tough gig. It's not about crossing a finish line, but about constantly pushing yourself and your team to be better. Don't get complacent when you achieve something, use it as fuel to keep going.

You’re Never Done

Let’s take a moment to detach and reflect. You've created your roadmap, highlighted the key milestones, and have started on your path. You want to make sure this plan succeeds and how will you know unless you see how far you’ve come?

The Yardstick of Progress

When you approach tasks in small groups, you'll find that those seemingly major issues or blockers, the ones that seemed like a major issue, they suddenly become manageable. They morph from mountains into molehills.

Use Everyone's Time Wisely

You feel frustrated, but then you realize that everyone is working hard to achieve the same goal. You're not alone in this, and together you can achieve anything.

The Unseen Battles of Teamwork

Team morale can drop, and it's easy to settle for mediocrity. But discipline is essential to overcome these challenges and deliver a great product.

Keep the Discipline

Overwhelm is normal. Taking a break to detach and gain perspective can help you make better decisions. Don't feel guilty for taking a break. It's a way to maintain control, gain clarity, and ensure that every move you make is calculated and deliberate.

Step Back… It’s OK

A leader must balance strategy and tactics, like cooking lasagna. The recipe is the long-term vision, while the cooking process is the day-to-day decisions. Stay true to the recipe, but don't forget the significance of the process.

Balancing Tactical and Strategic Approaches

The path to leadership is full of challenges. But these challenges are opportunities to grow, learn, and become better leaders. With strategic thinking, resilience, and a sense of adventure, we can overcome any roadblock. So let's buckle up and hit the road!

Creating Strategies to Tackle Roadblocks

A team is like a fire. It needs kindling (individual sparks), oxygen (open communication), and time to grow.

Sustaining the Collective Spark

Epictetus was a slave who became a philosopher. He taught that we can't control everything in life, but we can control how we react to it. We should learn to maneuver the currents of change, understand the motives of others, and see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Leadership is about rising stronger each time you stumble.

The Hidden Strength of Great Leaders

You will face pushback. Learn from history's leaders in books to navigate resistance and build a resilient team culture.

Steering Through Resistance

Anticipation can be paralyzing, but it can also be a powerful motivator. Strategic thinking can help you turn fear into action and prepare for different scenarios. Open conversations, a learning culture, and planning can help you lead your team towards success.

Leadership and the Art of Anticipation

When we feel overwhelmed, it's important to remember that we can control our mindset. We can identify our strengths and play to them, and improve our weaknesses. This is what champions and successful people do. So don't give up! Look at what's working, identify what isn't, and play to your strengths.

From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones

Nobody wants to feel like they messed up. It's like being caught with your hand in the cookie jar, right when you were enjoying the sweet taste of victory. We all dread that moment of embarrassment, when we're spotlighted for making a mistake.

The Hidden Ingredient of Progress

When things are tough, don't despair. Identify what's working and what's not, then amplify the former and mitigate the latter. Leverage your strengths and address your weaknesses.

It’s Really That Simple

Leadership is about inspiring and influencing others, not controlling them.

How Are You Using Your Influence?

If there's one thing that current and aspiring leaders can learn from, it's the discipline in pursuit of excellence

The Gateway to Breakthroughs

Leaders often fall into a relentless grind with their daily tasks. But productivity is not about relentless labor. It's about finding creative ways to make progress, such as postponing, delegating, automating, or collaborating. Don't attack your to-do list head-on. Instead, find its weak spots and break down large tasks into smaller ones.

The To-Do List Fallacy

This is about capturing the big picture, anticipating the future, and making decisions that charge your team towards a shared vision. It's your leap from being reactive to proactive. It's the difference between stumbling and sprinting.

Out with the Old

Have you ever faced a moment when your perfect plans didn’t quite hit the mark? That time when the anticipated victory eluded you? The situation seemed ideal, but something was off. The world was engaged in a long-term, strategic game, and it's time you joined in.

Are You Adaptable and Resilient?

Strategic thinking isn't a solo flight; it's a grand symphony performed by a diverse ensemble, each instrument adding its unique voice to the harmonious melody. It’s your responsibility to conduct this symphony, aligning your team's efforts and objectives. It's less about having all the answers and more about steering everyone to discover those answers together.

You Can't Do This Alone

To succeed, you need to be resilient, strategic, and have a clear vision. Channel your resilience into your team and work. Create a roadmap to success by understanding your team, resources, and limitations. Break down your vision into actionable steps and communicate it to your team. Pressure is your ally.

Crafting Successful Roadmaps: A Strategy

Strategic thinking is about anticipating the future and preparing for challenges. As a leader, you should define your team's goals and vision, inspire them, and constantly evaluate your approach. Embrace the uncertainty of the future and be a leader, not a firefighter.

Future-Focused Planning

Are your efforts leading you to victory, or are they merely creating noise?

Inspiration Through Planning

Trust is the foundation of leadership. Be present, ask questions, provide feedback, and listen. Commitment is essential. Earn trust to turn challenges into opportunities.

Earning Trust from Skeptical Team Members

Leadership is a delicate balance of trust and accountability. To be effective, leaders must foster trust, set clear expectations, and hold themselves and their team accountable.

Balancing Trust and Accountability

To be an extraordinary leader, earn your team's trust by being transparent, consistent, and empathetic. When you have their trust, you can lead them to great things.

Earn Trust, Ignite Action

Trust is key to leading a successful team. To build trust, be human, listen, be consistent, be empathetic, and empower your team. It's a journey, but it's worth it.

Forge Unshakable Bonds

Trust is a journey, not a destination. It requires being consistent, honest, and empathetic. Trust is essential for leadership and success. Don't let past disappointments hold you back from building trust. Choose to trust, to risk, and to lead.

Handling Broken Trust

You've been mistrusted in the past. Now you're a leader, and you can break the cycle by trusting your team. Your past doesn't define you, but your actions do. Invest in trust, and build a future where your team thrives. It starts with you.

Give Your Team What You Didn't Get

Discover how trust fosters growth, learning, and resilience in team members, and learn how to cultivate this essential element in your own leadership style.

Trust in the Trenches

Trust is the key to building a high-performing team. Leaders can earn trust by being honest, fair, and transparent. They should also nurture trust by communicating openly and supporting their team through successes and failures.

It's a Two Way Street

King Aldric's kingdom fell due to his misplaced trust in his advisors. This led to blame-shifting, discord, and the kingdom's downfall. The story is a cautionary tale for leaders.

Misplaced Trust: The Fall of a Kingdom

You might be smart, talented, and ambitious, but if your team doesn't trust you, you're doomed to mediocrity.

All Posts

What Would They Say?

Now What?

Navigating With Grace and Grit

Are You Ready?

Don't Play it Safe