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Leaders as Mediators When Team Members Are in Conflict
Conflict between team members can upset the delicate balance of collaboration and goodwill on even the best teams. Team members in conflict often ask others to take sides and bring their personal war to nearly every team conversation. Ignoring this struggle or hoping it will resolve itself on its own is faulty thinking. When the…
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The Dangers of a Leader in Denial
The greatest lie leaders tell themselves is not a falsehood, but an insistence on looking the other way. They purposely choose to live in denial of what everyone knows and sees because it serves their self-interest to do so. Leaders in denial discard feedback, eschew contrary data, and ignore what is in front of their…
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Untangling a Bad Habit
Bad habits are very similar to good habits. Some are easy to change, while others are exceedingly difficult to eradicate. Finding the motivation to create or change them is the first step. But unlike creating good or healthy habits, an inability to conquer a bad habit can elicit feelings of shame, helplessness, and guilt. This…
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If Not Me, Then Who?
In 2006, U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion began preparing for another tour to Iraq. When his brother-in-law expressed concern, Manion affirmed his commitment to duty, adding that if he didn’t go, someone less experienced would. Manion made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in action after protecting his troops from enemy fire.…
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Asking a Team Member to Give Advice to a Peer on the Issue They Need to Work On
It is well-known that when people teach others, they achieve a personal clarity that informs their own thinking on the subject. Sharing what they know requires team members to distill their knowledge and explain it in a way that others can easily follow. Once they engage in teaching others, they often reflect on whether they…
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Oh, But You Digress
Digressions in team discussions are frustrating and counterproductive. They can take teams off task, waste valuable time, and severely impede progress on the important issues the team needs to discuss. Once a major digression occurs, it is exceedingly hard to put the genie back in the bottle. As the team patiently endures the digression, what…
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Great Leaders Share Their Talents and Skills Beyond the Workplace
If, as many philosophers believe, generosity is the key ingredient to becoming your best self, then how a leader gives to others exerts a powerful influence on how they develop and grow. There are a myriad of ways to give to others: time, money, creativity, connection, ideas, and opportunities. But for leaders, it is the generosity of…
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If You Were Me, What Advice Would You Give You?
On occasion, a team member becomes resistant to feedback, listening to it but purposely not putting the advice into action. After multiple attempts to send a stronger message about the same matter, a leader can become exasperated. Their frustration often boils over into confrontation. Or they begin to accept the reality that this team member…
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The Best Reason for Challenging Others to Defend What They Believe
Good leaders push against the viewpoints and opinions others hold. While they hope their challenges reveal the convictions others hold about their opinions and help distinguish between good and bad ideas, the best leaders do this primarily to stretch and develop how others think. Leaders who think of themselves as developers of talent are less…
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Team Members Over-Interpret the Actions of a New Leader
Team members are naturally nervous when a new leader arrives or is elevated to direct the team. Even if the leader is somewhat known to the team through reputation or experience, their values, priorities, and preferences are viewed as highly uncertain and potentially problematic. Team members have a desperate need to understand how things might…