Monthly Archive for April, 2010

What can Leaders Learn From a Volcanic Eruption?

For the past week, the news has been obsessed with volcanic ash in Iceland and its impact on most of Europe and around the world. The flights have come to a standstill in Europe and everybody seems to be caught off guard.  No one seems to know what to do or how to deal with the stranded passengers on both sides of the ocean. Millions of dollars are being blamed in lost tourism, hotel stays and restaurants.  You might wander how this act of nature can be so powerful. And you might ask, where is the leadership?

Something has gone terribly wrong with both government and business leaders not able to speak out and alleviate some of the chaos. I think at the hub of this malfunctioning is a… Continue reading

Published on Wednesday April 21, 2010 in Communication, Dealing With Crises, Leadership Development and Management Development. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Leaders Need to Share Their Stories

Throughout all my years of consulting leaders, I have always learned the most from anecdotes that others shared. These stories can be very powerful and usually portray the multi-faceted aspects of a leader. Have you ever spent the time to write your own story? What would you write about?

Some important questions you might ask yourself before you create your narrative might include:

  • What have I accomplished?
  • Who have I become or evolved into?
  • What can I do now that I could not do before?
  • What are my core values and how did I learn them?
  • Which people in my life have helped to shape me?
  • What obstacles have I overcome?

I think that many of the mantras that… Continue reading | 3 Comments

Published on Wednesday April 7, 2010 in Communication and Leadership Development. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

How Do Leaders Model Honesty?

In today’s turbulent workplaces, probably the most important characteristic for a leader to possess is honesty. If we cannot show others that we are trustworthy in both our words and actions, we will not have followers. So how do we show honesty?

First think back to a time that you felt a boss or co-worker or friend was being disingenuous. What did they do to make you feel this way? Did they tell you to do something that you felt was unethical or down right wrong? Did they ask you to behave in a way that was uncomfortable and didn’t reflect your true choice of action? Were they not truthful in describing an entire vision or goal so that you were only aware of a small piece, not the… Continue reading | 6 Comments

Published on Thursday April 1, 2010 in Building Trust, Communication and Leadership Development. 6 Comments Tags: , , , .