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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What Leaders Can Learn From a ‘Snow Day’
Much of the U.S. experienced a severe winter storm yesterday, leaving behind up to a foot of snow in some urban areas across more than half the nation. As with any winter snowstorm, businesses and schools must decide whether to open or to suspend in-person events by declaring a “snow day.” School superintendents, club managers,
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Instilling Collective Pride
Collective pride is a powerful motivator, especially in organizations and teams that can harness it. Practically speaking, collective pride is the shared sense of dignity, value, and emotional attachment team members feel toward the team or organization they belong to. Such pride is the emotional glue that turns individuals into a united front capable of…
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Think Big, Build Small
Acting on a big, audacious goal or vision can be intimidating. Staring at the mountain and deciding where to begin the trek is daunting, even for the best leaders. Imagining all the steps involved to get there can overload the brain and cause avoidance. Instead of asking “Where to start?” it is much easier to
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Skills Scale Performance While Self-Identity Sustains It
Improving the foundational skills underlying performance is the fastest way to create better results. Enhanced skills allow team members to perform tasks faster, better, and at a higher level. No wonder skill development is the most popular catalyst for producing greater results in every organization. But sustaining improvements in performance requires team members to internalize what they
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Keeping Small Promises to Yourself Is Foundational for Being Organized
Organization starts with self-trust. When you tell yourself, “I’ll put this away later,” or “I’ll start on that tomorrow,” or “I’ll write this down in my journal after we are done,” and you don’t follow through, you weaken trust in your own intentions. Every time you fail at keeping a personal promise, you teach yourself…
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Does Your Team Have Competitive Joy?
Competitive joy is the emotional fuel of high-performing teams. NBA coach and executive Pat Riley, who popularized the concept, describes it as the deep satisfaction that comes from pursuing excellence together as a team. For Riley, competitive joy is what sustains sports dynasties after success removes the fear of failure. Competitive joy is not
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Why Setting Boundaries for Assignments Signals Trust, Not Control
Why Setting Boundaries for Assignments Signals Trust, Not Control.
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What High-Potential Team Members Need Most From Leaders
Great leaders see hidden potential in people. And they create the conditions for those with undiscovered talents to soar. So, they go about creating opportunities, setting challenges, investing in skill development and training, providing resources, offering critical feedback, and establishing the support these team members need to thrive. Surprisingly, what these high-potential team members need
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Practicing Optimism
Practicing Optimism… by continually expressing optimism, good leaders train the brain to expect possibility. Optimistic leaders are possiblitarians.
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Why Do Some Leaders Feel More Stress?
Stress is the body’s natural response to demands, pressures, and challenges, whether they come from real situations or perceived circumstances. When feeling stressed, the brain releases hormones that both narrow focus and heighten anxiety. Stress becomes harmful when it’s intense, frequent, or long-lasting. When leaders are in that state, it affects nearly every system in