OK. You’re interested in developing deeper self-awareness. You’ve read the studies; you have an inkling that there’s room for you to strengthen this crucial leadership capacity. What are the options? The irony of self-awareness is that it relies on deep self-inquiry, AND it can’t really happen—not completely, anyway—in a vacuum. Self-awareness is greatly amplified by working within a group, whether it’s an existing team, a cross-section of colleagues from across […]
A study conducted at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations looked at the leadership styles, backgrounds, and track records of senior executives from a range of companies. The researchers found that a high self-awareness score was the single best predictor of overall success. Another study by the Korn/Ferry Institute looked at the cost of low self-awareness, noting that poorly performing companies’ employees had 20% more blind spots (gaps […]
I’m working with my dear colleague Lauren Burton to launch Gauge Leadership Lab in Seattle and London this fall, and we’ve been spending a lot of time talking about the WHY. Why we’re doing this work, why it matters, and what happens when people embark on a collaborative learning process. Creating a space for leaders to reflect, connect, and learn Here’s what I know: Leadership can be fulfilling AND frustrating, […]
At a time when the world is thinking a lot about leadership and often noting its absence, here are some thoughts on what makes a leader. First, to clarify: A leader isn’t just somebody with a snazzy title or a lofty position. In fact, it’s entirely possible for a CEO to be ineffectual, tyrannical, or just plain bad. It’s also entirely possible for a compassionate, insightful receptionist to inspire others to new […]
Interesting stuff about common patterns of bad decision-making. 20 Common Ways We Make Bad Decisions
Last week I told a story about the power of embracing criticism. Building on that idea, let’s explore how to embrace different kinds of criticism and conflict on your team. You know the scenario: You’re having a team meeting, and someone is proposing a new idea. Before they get three sentences in, somebody else attacks or dismisses the idea. Suddenly, people are more focused on staking positions and forming allegiances, […]
We’ve been thinking about courageous ways to deal with conflict. What does this look like in practice? What can you do when you’re confronted with someone who opposes your vision, your ideas, or your plan? Let’s take a look at the pretty common scenario of facing opposition in a group setting. Karen Kimsey-House is one of my great teachers and co-founder of the Coaches Training Institute (CTI). Karen tells the […]
Last week I wrote about what happens when we face conflict and we stop seeing each other as people. We stop seeing that our opponents have strengths, flaws, needs, and aspirations — just as we do. Instead, we reduce each other to less than human. These strategies may make us feel better. But any relief we feel is just temporary. And we’re not working toward resolving the conflict. The authors […]
I offered this idea recently to a group of state legislators gathered in Seattle during the 2015 Summit of the National Conference of State Legislators. More than 4000 elected officials and legislative staffers got together to discuss hot topics ranging from energy policy to education funding, mental illness in the criminal justice system, marijuana legalization, and beyond. During this non-partisan gathering, 85 of us spent a morning together focused on […]
