FieldNotes
Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
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Widening the Circle of Congratulations
The next time you congratulate a colleague, friend, or client for achieving an important milestone, consider widening the circle of congratulations by including others in your message. Once leaders expand who knows about the good news, congratulations pick up speed. The only thing better than a congratulatory message is two of them.
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When Conflict Isn’t What It Seems
The greatest leadership secrets are always right in front of us. They are just hard to see.
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How Different Are We, Really?
When it comes right down to it, people are more similar than they are different. This applies to nearly everyone. Differences fall away when we examine the human emotions and experiences of excitement, hurt, playfulness, pain, and joy. The famed psychologist Carl Rogers once said, “What is most private is most common.” Whenever we think
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Leaders Who Don’t Lead
Leaders Who Don’t Lead. Having a title, position, or authority doesn’t make someone a leader. Action does. Leaders who fail to offer a strategic vision, set goals and objectives to get there, clarify expectations and standards for the work, and then serve as a resource for high performance simply let the organization down. Their failure…
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Some Leaders Don’t Fit the Culture
Because the organization doesn’t need to accommodate a leader, the pain point is theirs. The decision to move to another organization is never easy, especially when a leader is having a fair bit of success and solid relationships; however, the need for authenticity should be paramount. No one should have to pretend they are someone…
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When Delay Makes You Wrong
Personnel decisions regarding valued team members who severely misstep or violate workplace standards are always complex and often tortuous. Good leaders care deeply about those they lead and this makes the hard choice to potentially end a relationship even more gut-wrenching. Good leaders who learn about an incident or violation dig in and find out…
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Leaders Bring the Weather
Through their actions, leaders set the tone and climate of the team. Leaders who get this are highly aware of how they interact and engage with others, including their peers. They understand that team climate is unlike the weather in one important way. The weather changes tomorrow. Climate is experienced every day.
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Sometimes a Team Just Needs a Win
When a team faces stiff headwinds for a prolonged period, good leaders find a way for the group to succeed and win. This means looking to alternative sources of competition where the team can achieve a hard-fought outcome and remember what it feels like to win. Nothing feels better to a team that hasn’t had…
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Revoke a Bad Decision Publically
When a bad decision needs to be rescinded, good leaders don’t miss the opportunity to project their true character and competence. Revoking a poor decision publicly is a ticket to win the hearts and minds of the team.
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Smart Versus Wise
For leaders, it’s always better to be wise than to be smart. Of course, it takes wisdom to know that. Smart leaders know things. Wise leaders know what to do with that knowledge. We say some people are wise beyond their years. There is no similar expression for smart. At best, we say some people