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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Take Projects Apart to Develop Delegation Skills
Learning to delegate is hard for even the best leaders, but especially for those who hold high standards and prefer to exert control over everything important. Fearing standards will drop if they don’t have direct oversight of a project or task, leaders often take the helm even when the best choice would be to delegate.
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Leaders Who Overemphasize Compensation Create Mercenaries
Compensation is the most direct expression of value in the workplace. Beyond providing for basic needs, compensation is the most visible sign of how much an organization values an individual’s time, skills, and contributions. It communicates forcefully what work and behavior an organization truly rewards and prioritizes. But in the eyes of leaders and team members, compensation
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Great Leadership Development Plans Share Four Ingredients
As leaders — and those who support them — think about designing a personal development plan to improve their leadership, several best practices stand out. What makes for a great plan, one that, if executed with enthusiasm, will really move the needle, is generally not well-known. Many plans rely too heavily on assessment and not…
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Loyalty Is a Consequence of Leadership
Loyalty Is a Consequence of Leadership
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Learning From the Competition Can Make You Better
Competitors can be a source of learning, growth, and inspiration — if leaders let them be. They can provide the foil and contrast by which leaders can judge the quality and approach taken in their organization to the same problem. The insights and questions that arise from a thorough analysis of a competitor can often
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Leaders Must Ask for Sacrifice or All They Get Is Compliance
So, when leaders ask team members to sacrifice for the greater good, it becomes a delicate calculus. Over time, team members who make sacrifices without truly believing in the payoff sour, become resentful, and disengage. Teams that sacrifice for external rewards without the intrinsic beliefs behind why lose their commitment and spirit. Sacrificing primarily to…
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Strong Leaders Always Defend Others From Unfair Criticism
Strong Leaders Always Defend Others From Unfair Criticism
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Create Internal Certifications Team Members to Showcase Their Skills
When thoughtfully designed and instilled with rigor, Certifications provide tangible evidence of skill achievement. They represent a proof of proficiency that is both a source of pride and a recognition of critical experience, skill, and knowledge.
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Initiate New Relationships by Finding a Common Connection
Making new connections and finding new introductions are challenges for even the most gregarious and social people. Just ask any salesperson. Relationships don’t just happen. They must be started through an initial conversation of mutual interest. While some new conversations occur because of proximity, shared assignments or projects, and seeking a resource for work to
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Making the Office More Attractive to Team Members
For many organizations, maintaining a remote or hybrid working arrangement makes the most sense for what they do. But other organizations have learned that remote work doesn’t create the apprentice-style learning or collaboration they depend on. Many are creeping ever closer to a full return to the office for all team members. Asking team members