When it comes to planning, some people are nearsighted, finding it easiest to focus on details and the accomplishment of daily tasks. Others tend to think a few weeks in advance, while visionaries toy with big ideas that might come to fruition many years later. These are all valuable perspectives, and there’s a place for [...]
The moment you take on a leadership role, you’re giving up some privileges you might not even realize you possess. A distance inevitably grows between you and your team members, one which can make leadership much harder and lonelier than most people realize. In recent posts for the Fired-Up! blog, we covered some of the [...]
Passing the buck is the flavor of the day. The news cycle is filled with stories of powerful people blaming subordinates who somehow “let them down,” “did not measure up,” or were “disloyal and incompetent.” Leaders throw their team members under the bus as a show of strength, when doing so actually demonstrates quite the [...]
“Anyone could be a leader if there was no cost. True leaders willingly pay a price, to sacrifice self interest, to have the honor to lead.” —Simon Sinek, author and inspirational speaker People aren’t always prepared for the cost that comes hand in hand with a leadership role. They believe leadership is all about power, [...]
There’s a famous management quote that says you “get what you inspect.” This quote has its roots in the hierarchical and positional history of what once passed for leadership. Within this history, leadership was about giving orders, publicly admonishing low performers, inspiring angst and fear among workers, and applying pressure to see who was left [...]
“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” — Albert Schweitzer, theologian, doctor, humanitarian, and more At any dog park, there’s normally an eclectic mix of dogs. There might be hyperactive puppies, calm older dogs, playful golden retrievers, expressive beagles, and intense bulldogs. If you observe for a while, [...]
We interact with hierarchies in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. The grocery store has a manager. The schools our children attend have principals. Companies have CEOs. Humans use hierarchy, and leadership structures, as a tool to impose order, delineate authority and provide a recognizable structure with which others may easily interact. The Delineation [...]
The topic of perseverance has been discussed ad nauseam across countless organizations and industries. Gurus espouse its power, reminding us that, if we only keep going, good things will assuredly happen to us. As children, we’re reminded not to quit the soccer team or school play but, rather, see each activity through to the end. [...]
“Have We Determined Our Norms and Values?” While the question posed by the title of this section might appear so simple that only an affirmative answer would apply, the truth is often more complex. The urgency of the immediate and the need to address momentary pressures frequently take precedence over aligning efforts and values. Companies [...]
There are a handful of commitments a leader must possess without exception. These commitments are non-negotiables—points on which you refuse to waver, regardless of what comes your way. One of these key commitments needs to be relentless follow-through. A leader in possession of relentless follow-through does not allow things to slip. They don’t promise to [...]
