LEADERSHIP BLOG

“If a team member is under performing, what steps can I take to help them improve?”

We all face those moments when someone on our team isn’t performing the way we expected. The reason for underperforming isn’t always what we think it is. What are the steps we need...

My team is pretty new. How do I get a jumpstart on evaluating their capabilities?

This honeymoon stage of a new team is a beautiful thing. A friend of mine recently started a new job and is living on cloud nine with excitement about the work, the role and her team. Everyone around her kept...

"How do you lead well while grieving?"

In leadership you will face a variety of different seasons. Sometimes those seasons can be rough, and we will have to walk through grief while also leading well. That’s the focus of our listener’s question today and I am joined by Dr. Michaela...

Questions are a great way to draw out the great potential with your people: to solve problems, to grow, to perform better. We can use questions as leaders to explore, to listen, to understand. 

You’ve got to ask yourself, though, is there a time where questions are not useful? 

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It’s a holiday week, so let’s take a little “vacation” break from answering a question. One thing I like about holidays is that they are like periods in a run-on sentence. A moment to pause and take a breath so you can say or write the next sentence more...

What is a mistake you witness leaders making more frequently than others?

We are bound to make mistakes as leaders. Some of those mistakes can turn into patterns. And these patterns can really get us in trouble – and make a mess of our teams. Well, let’s stop those patterns before...

We are having a hard time getting through disagreements on the team. What can we do to move through disagreements and create more cohesion?

Let’s take a deeper look at what could be the source of those team disagreements. Which of these is tripping up your team? Or if it’s more than...

Now that we are a bigger team we’ve become more like “silos”. I miss the creative thinking that came naturally to a smaller, adaptable team. What can I do to hold on to that creative thinking?

There is something beautiful and wonderful about the creativity and innovation that...

How do I align myself with the leader of my team when I don’t quite agree with the decision or the direction we are going?

Can good things come from disagreeing with someone? I imagine when you hear the word disagreement your brain goes to arguments, positioning, power plays or even broken...

"The impact of the pandemic has left the board less connected to what we are doing in the organization. How can I strengthen relationships with our board of directors."

The tension of many Executive Directors I talk with is the delicate balance of reporting to the board and leading their...

"Two employees left my team just before the deadline on a big project. How do I change my approach to meet the deadline?"

We’ve all been there when our carefully laid out plan goes awry because of circumstances outside our control. Our impulse is to dive in more and drive harder to reach...

If you ask profound questions … you’ll get profound answers. If you ask shallow questions … you’ll get shallow answers. If you ask no questions … you’ll get no answers at all. 

~Bobb Biehl Master Planning Group International

 Asking...