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.
Search Field Notes
-
No One Has a Lock on Character
What does it mean to possess high character? Is character something you own, or is something you must prove through your actions and choices every day? We all know a leader who displayed the highest integrity and character for multiple decades who then lost it, perhaps forever, one morning with a horrible choice or decision. …
-
Avoiding Is an Act of Cowardice
Avoidance might be the most common conflict strategy no one writes about. When we are uncomfortable with others, even those we know well, we tend to avoid them. Contact is averted. We look right past them in meetings. Conversations are cut short, postponed, or cancelled. Engagement is neglected. Avoidance allows us to ignore what we…
-
Tune Into the Repeated
Given all of the noise, bias, and gossip that exists in an organization, how does a leader know what is true and what is less true? Is that team member talented? Is the team behind the new process? Is the strategy working or floundering? The best leaders use a simple but enduring maxim to guide…
-
What Is the Right Thing to Do?
Doing the right thing is never easy. The question confronting us all is: What is the right thing? To paraphrase the words of a U.S. Supreme Court justice when asked how to discern pornography: “You’ll know it when you see it.” Leaders apply another lens to this question and answer. Leaders, by definition, have an…
-
Outwork Everyone Else
Sometimes hustle matters — and matters more than anything else. Speak to leaders who achieved results and reached places they never thought possible, and you’ll hear stories of hard work and dedication. Others may have more skills or innate talents, but the one thing we all control is how much effort we put into succeeding.…
-
The Power to Sway
The right feedback at the right time can change the arc of a life. As teachers can attest, it is common to learn many years later that a spontaneous remark, criticism or encouragement was the catalyst for significant change in a student’s life. We never know when our suggestions or advice will take hold and…
-
Expect More, Evaluate Less
When Benjamin Zander, the longtime conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, found himself a teacher to young students at the New England Conservatory of Music, he decided to tackle the issue of student self-doubt head on. He learned from experience that even the best musicians fear making mistakes and dread the conductor’s evaluation of their…
-
The Spaghetti Sauce Question
This one can get tricky. Let’s say someone on your team has an embarrassing problem. Something that could detract from their credibility or acceptance by others. How should a leader approach the delicate feedback that is clearly needed? First, what do we mean by embarrassing? Extremely bad breath comes to mind. Repeated flatulence. Unusual scratching.…
-
Thank People in Advance
Thanking people for being candid before they are candid is a wonderful way to create more honesty and frankness. Ben Franklin taught us that to thank people before they do something you desire is a sure-fire way to have them do that very thing. This is particularly true when it comes to getting candid feedback…
-
The Bad Motive Behind Flawed Decisions
The fear of failure is a powerful motivator that drives many leaders to excel. Striving to always be prepared and not to let others down is a reputable quality everyone appreciates. But, sometimes, the fear of failure produces something else — a need in a leader to constantly prove themself. Making sure everyone knows you…