FieldNotes
Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
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Transferring the Leadership Mantle to a Successor
The hand-off from one leader to another is seldom perfectly smooth. It looks simple on paper, but in reality, it is a fragile moment for the team, the leader, and the successor. Leaders often become their role. Their decisions, relationships, and reputations are tied to who they are as leaders. Letting go can be like
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Leaders Who Empower a Surrogate to Speak for Them
Busy leaders gain leverage by empowering others. Delegating tasks to team members buys leaders time for more strategic activities. Giving team members full ownership of projects develops their talents and allows leaders to attend to critical decision-making issues. Good leaders are effective delegators. For senior leaders, delegation is a requirement. Depending on others to take
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Giving One Last Chance to People Who Aren’t Making the Grade
No matter how hard they try, some team members significantly and consistently underperform. They possess many skills but lack the ability to put them altogether. Despite many opportunities and a heap of coaching, their results haven’t improved. The harsh reality is that their performance doesn’t warrant a spot on the team. Convincing these team members
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My Leader Only Gets Soundbites About My Performance
Here’s a common dilemma for team members and leaders who report upward. The senior leaders who judge them often only get secondhand soundbites about their performance. They generate strong views from limited information, pieced together from snippets of indirect conversations and opinions. As a result, senior leaders form simplified narratives about some team members, leaders,…
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On Becoming a Leader Everyone Roots For
The qualities that make up great leadership have been debated for centuries. The question of how to best lead others will likely never be answered to anyone’s full satisfaction. That’s because the competing goals leaders must pursue to be effective make leadership exceedingly complex. Great leaders must motivate team members while holding them accountable for
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Curiosity Is How Long You Stay In Discovery Mode
Curiosity Is How Long You Stay in Discovery Mode
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Is This Your Best Work?
Some team members have yet to reach their full potential. Others have yet to embrace the standards of excellence held by the team. Some team members are just plain lazy. These team members need a push, something that will shake them up, capture their attention, and propel them forward. They require a simple question that…
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Clarity Is What Creates Speed
Clarity Is What Creates Speed
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Using Checklists to Teach Quality Standards
Standards define the ideal performance level and set the bar for when a work product can be described as “quality.” While codifying the standards for manufactured products is a well-established practice in all industries, clarifying the measurable requirements for excellence in processes, meetings, communication, analysis, writing, and personal conduct, among many other less tangible work…
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Use Audience Projection to Let People Discover Your Feedback
Do you guide people to discover feedback or always give it to them directly? While many times, candid and direct feedback is the best call, self-discovery through audience projection is an essential option for good leaders. Sometimes letting insights land on their own is the superior leadership choice.