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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Leaders Can Carry Too Much Truth Through Humor
How many consultants does it take to change a light bulb? The answer is 100. One to change the light bulb and 99 others to describe how they could have done it better. If you found that joke even remotely funny, it’s likely you recognize the small truth in it. Too many consultants think they
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Establishing a New Team Norm
Establishing a New Team Norm. The unwritten rules that guide team interaction are more powerful than most leaders realize. Because they shape how team members work and make decisions together, norms have a tremendous influence on team effectiveness. Without a clear understanding of which behaviors are valued by the group and which are to be…
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Great Leaders Know When to Follow
A critically important moment in any team occurs when a leader is wise enough to know that they need to follow instead of lead on an issue or initiative. This doesn’t mean they simply defer to those with more subject expertise or give decision rights to those with more experience on the issue. Instead, they…
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Tell Your Leader When You’re About to Disagree With Them
Disagreeing with your leader can result in a wide variety of reactions depending on how they lead, how secure they are as people, and how status-conscious they are. Weak leaders have a difficult time when a team member has the “audacity” to disagree with them. Their preference to have everyone follow their lead and get…
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The More We Get Rejected, The More We Succeed.
Good leaders don’t accept rejection or feel immune to its bite. Quite the contrary. They attempt to learn what they can from it and do their best to avoid letting its discomfort take too much of their energy. They know that success is a consequence of how many times they are willing to be rejected.…
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Do You Need to Change the Culture Before Changing the Strategy?
The best leaders don’t talk about the need to change the culture to set the groundwork for a new strategy. When a misalignment exists, they simply go to work. Their best bet is to go to the heart of culture. They attempt to influence the day-to-day practices that shape how team members interact with each…
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Why We Resist Demand and Commands
If a sign reads “DO NOT TOUCH,” the immediate reaction from those reading it is to reach out and do the opposite. It’s amazing how powerful the need is to resist any restriction of our personal freedoms. People have more than a distaste for being told what to do. They bristle at the thought of
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The Fallacy of Composition and Judging True Character
Some people are gracious sometimes but not most of the time. Other people are generous on occasion but not as a rule. And some are charming when they want to be but turn off the charisma when it doesn’t serve their interests. Showcasing a skill, behavior, attitude, or persona at times doesn’t mean that’s who…
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Making Good Decisions About Strategy
When it comes to strategy, more minds are better than one. Good leaders rely heavily on the influence of colleagues, subject-matter experts, and other key stakeholders to debate the benefits and drawbacks of a new strategy under consideration. The more input, the better. This team effort helps to produce a set of strategy options for…
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Talent May Be Portable But Success Is Not
In a world of fleeting organizational loyalty and remote work, the realization of how portable talent is has become top of mind for many leaders. Highly skilled team members can bring their assets to organizations across the globe, often without relocating geographically. The acceptability of working remotely, or mostly so, has amplified the view that…