Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Knowing Your Personality Type Enhances Leadership

Understanding your strengths and blind spots of your personality can be the most essential ingredient to leadership success. Have you ever taken a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment (MBTI)? Through this tool, a leader can learn about their personality preferences. When an individual becomes aware of what impacts them when they take in information or make decisions, they are better able to relate to the rest of their team.

So how does this really work and apply to real work environments? So let’s say you discover that when you lead, you tend to focus on facts, details and results. You use logical arguments in presenting your case to your team members. What if you have a few team members who are influenced more by their own values or the concerns… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday March 23, 2010 in Leadership Development, Management Development and Myers-Briggs MBTI. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Leading with Intention

Many managers whom I have worked with ask me how they become better leaders. They have mastered the technical managerial skills of their job but they know they are not really leading. They are getting bogged down on everyday details and have no time to dream and vision for their team. For managers to be successful leaders they need to delegate some of their job responsibilities in order to begin the process of learning to lead. It must be their intention to want to evolve into true leaders.

A first step in the leadership process is to learn how to be a strong, effective communicator.  What does this involve?

  • Assertive Communication- A leader is able to express clearly their wants, needs and desires while still being
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Published on Wednesday March 17, 2010 in Communication, Goal Setting and Leadership Development. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Baby Boomer Leaders and Gen Y Teams

One of the biggest challenges for businesses today is integrating the Gen Y twenty-somethings into a Baby Boomer culture. In fact, many of the leaders in today’s companies are part of the Baby Boomer group, with definite work ethics and a standard of high achievement. The Gen Y’ers approach their careers in a different way. They want greater work/life balance and possibly more freedom and constant feedback in their jobs. They were the generation raised on a reward system, receiving certificates, trophies and m&m’s for each of their achievements.  Baby Boomers believed in delayed gratification and were willing to wait for their turn for success. So what can leaders and organizations do to bridge this gap?

According to Tina Paparone, who wrote an article for Under 30 CEO, “The… Continue reading | 1 Comment

Published on Thursday March 11, 2010 in Communication, Conflict Resolution, Positive Feedback and Team Building. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Have You Been in Anyone’s Wedding Party? Hired!

When hiring new people for your organization, it is important to decide what would make a great team member. Asking the right questions always depends on knowing what you are looking for. Deciding on the necessary qualities of a new addition to your company can be the key to finding the perfect fit and balance to your present team.

Meridee A. Moore, founder of Watershed Asset Management was interviewed recently in the NY Times about how she hires new employees. What caught my attention was that she always asks the candidate if they have ever been in anyone’s wedding party.  She feels that if the person’s answer is yes, it means that they are trusted by at least one person in the world. What a great way to find… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday March 9, 2010 in Communication, Positive Feedback and Teams. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

How much is too much micromanaging?

I was recently reading an interview with a president of a Global Health Program who spoke about the difficult transition from worker bee to manager. He thought that one of the biggest challenges facing that person is the issue of delegation. He asked the question, “How can you have the team do what you would do yourself without you doing it?” He then remarked, “I don’t micromanage.” Although this president always knows what’s going on, he doesn’t tell people what to do. He also doesn’t get caught up in the details.

I thought this was a profound comment. It is very challenging for new team leaders and supervisors or managers to let go of what they are so technically proficient. After all, isn’t that why they were promoted to… Continue reading

Published on Friday March 5, 2010 in Delegation and Leadership Development. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .