What Great Leaders and Jerry Maguire Have in Common
One of my favorite movies is Jerry Maguire. There is much of your typical “integrity and character” fodder. But, what really resonated when I saw it 15 years ago and then recently was the loneliness that can sometimes accompany true leadership or pushing change. There are many things you probably inferred, or that supervisors and mentors ...
The Smallest Acts Have the Biggest Impact
Recently, a dear friend, former boss and mentor passed away. It was such a shock, and I spent days processing all these memories I hadn’t thought of for years: insightful perspectives she had, ways we worked together and observing her subtle, but universally respected, leadership style. I had just seen her. One particular memory stood ...
Move Over Change Management, Change Habits Instead
When beginning a new HR lead role a few years ago, one of the first requests I had for the president — my new boss — was to tell me his organizational wish list. His first response was, “I want you to create a development culture in our business.” That word “culture” struck me. I ...
Be an Inspired Leader, One Monday at a Time
In the spirit of reconnecting with your inspiration — the key to making great things happen — presented a couple of weeks ago in, “What Do Writer’s Block and Leadership Have in Common,” I figured it would be a good idea to follow my advice. So, please join me on this trip down memory lane ...
McDonald’s Jan Fields Proves Leadership is for Everyone
I attended a Women’s Leadership Forum at a large corporation recently featuring Jan Fields, President of McDonald’s USA. She is #88 on Forbes “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,” sharing the stage with the likes of Hilary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Meg Whitman and Marisa Mayer. I had just published a “best leadership advice” blog post, so ...
Leadership Isn’t About Winning and Losing
There is no end to leadership advice, including this blog. Common themes include humility, integrity, developing others, self-awareness, having a vision and modeling the way. However, what are those unstated traits that while not popular to teach, are nonetheless rewarded? One is competitiveness. The very nature of competition implies there are winners and losers. Every great leader ...
What Do Writer’s Block and Leadership Have in Common?
Bear with me for a short story. A former colleague and I are working on a book. Something initially inspired my former colleague, and as we began to work together, further content planning was inspiring. Writing the outline was say, “exciting” — a sense of accomplishment that we were getting closer to the goal. But, ...
What’s the Best Leadership Advice You’ve Ever Received?
What’s your secret? What was that special tip you received along the way that transformed how you approach leadership? This post will feature just that: a few real leaders, and the advice that continues to guide them. Kelly McCleary, Sr. Director, Finance Process, Walmart “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.” “If you think you’re over communicating, ...
Debunking Assertiveness, Part II: 5 Ways to Get More Women in Leadership
It’s clear we’ve moved beyond the days of telling women they should “be more assertive” as explained in my last post, Debunking Assertiveness: Real Reasons There Aren’t More Women in Leadership, Part I. However, there are some barriers to getting more women on leadership teams and on boards. They include homogenous culture at the top, ...
Debunking Assertiveness: Real Reasons There Aren’t More Executive Women, Part I
Attend most leadership conferences or read any book geared toward women, you’ll probably hear someone telling women they should be more assertive. I’ve been in professional roles since the early ’90s, and it irritated me back then. To hear that in 2012 is infuriating. Even worse, in our most respected business periodicals, we’re still telling women ...
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