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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The Case Against Dirty Empowerment
The Case Against Dirty Empowerment. Empowering team members to shape outcomes doesn’t take courage. It takes an ambition to succeed through others.That sounds like leadership.
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Resist Emotional Reasoning
Resist Emotional Reasoning. All leaders are susceptible to emotional reasoning on occasion. But by recognizing that emotional reasoning can create a fog of delusion, leaders can prevent falling prey to this pernicious inference-making. Emotional reasoning leads to exaggerated conclusions about who leaders are and why they should avoid particular situations. Such reasoning never serves leaders…
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Getting People to Talk Candidly in Meetings
Getting People to Talk Candidly in Meetings. Don’t save breakouts for training and large group programs. Use them in everyday meetings to get everyone involved and talking. Effective meetings require everyone to make a contribution and to speak their mind regarding critical issues. Breakouts get that done.
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Rituals That Signal Heightened Performance Focus
When he played for the New York Mets, former All-Star catcher Mike Piazza would start his year at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve by hitting fastballs in a batting cage. Before making a critical business decision, the CEO of Retro Fitness lies on a mat that simulates a bed of nails. Former
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Saying Yes More Slowly Will Allow You to Say No More Often
Saying Yes More Slowly Will Allow You to Say No More Often. Agreeing to a request and then regretting it later is a universal experience. Leaders want to be helpful and liked by others, just like everyone else. But in their ambition to gain acceptance and please others, they sometimes say “Yes” to a request…
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Triggers Are Essential for Changing Habits
Because old habits are comfortable and resist change, people have a hard time establishing a new habit without killing the old one first. The idea that we need to replace old habits with new ones is well supported. The process involved with doing so depends heavily on learning to identify the trigger points that signal
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Certifying Skills for Entry-Level Team Members
Certifying Skills for Entry-Level Team Members. Talented people have an intrinsic desire to advance. When leaders create a scale new team members can climb while marking their progress, they help to distinguish who is worthy of reward and opportunity. A more precise description of skill development motivates everyone to excel, even the more seasoned team…
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How You Make People Feel About Their Contribution
Good leaders make a point of telling others when they are creating a real difference. By doing so, these leaders inject them with the energy to improve their skills and achieve the excellence they are capable of. Making others feel important takes on a different shade when leaders highlight the indispensable contribution team members are…
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The Teaching Moment of Applying Values to Problems
The Teaching Moment of Applying Values to Problems. Because organizational cultures directly reflect the values team members express daily, this exercise is more important than first meets the eye. Applying values to address problems is something every leader and team member can and should get better at. Any solutions not tied to values are a…
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Why Confidence Shrinks When Dealing With Senior Leaders
Otherwise formidable and self-confident leaders can sometimes turn into shape-shifting lizards in the presence of powerful and high-status colleagues or clients. The confident style they normally exude turns to jelly. They come across as reticent, junior, passive, and obsequious. The weak style they project erodes their credibility and reduces their influence. While most people naturally