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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Leaders Who Own All of the Key Decisions
Some leaders can’t give up control or don’t feel comfortable unless they own all the important decisions for the team or organization. Even when they delegate less critical decisions to others, they maintain “veto power” over the decision. If they don’t like the decision, they get involved and change it. The idea of owning or…
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Good People Like to Help Good People
The idea you want to learn from this person and would do anything for that chance acts like a magnet to attract positive affect. Of course, sincerity matters most. If done just to create goodwill, the request will usually backfire. Most people are good souls. They hold positive values, stand for quality, and act with good…
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The Kiva Method for Inclusive Decision-Making
The tribal elders of the Hopi nation knew a thing or two about inclusive decision-making. They originated a decision-making process that is all but forgotten but is poised for a comeback. The so-called Kiva Method, drawn from the structures in which the decisions were made and devised generations ago, allows minor voices to influence more
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When It Comes to End-Users and Customers, It’s All About Reducing Friction
When It Comes to End-Users and Customers, It’s All About Reducing Friction
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Good Leaders Are Contrarian
What it means to be a contrarian leader is often misunderstood. True contrarians do not try to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing, nor do they take a contrary stand just to be different. Contrarian leaders simply try to live in the future while everyone else is focused on living in the…
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At Some Point, You Have to Stop Repeating the Bad News
At Some Point, You Have to Stop Repeating the Bad News. When things go horribly wrong, leaders face the difficult challenge of repairing a reputation and credibility that is now suspect. This requires gathering the pertinent information and crafting a plan to respond that exudes the integrity and competence that will effectively address the misstep…
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How to Speed Up Trust
Trust in relationships, on a team, and within an enterprise is the critical building block of effectiveness. Without it, everyday tasks become burdensome and take longer, as people must find a way to get comfortable with what they are told. When trust is low, verification, second-guessing, and interpretation clog the ability to act quickly and…
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Thinking Slowly About Loss Aversion
Nobel prize-winning behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman passed away at the age of 90 a few days ago. Kahneman was a marvel. He proved through meticulous research that people’s mental biases — what he called kinks — warp their judgment and often lead them to act against their own self-interests. In his book, Thinking Fast and…
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Optimism Is Not Wishful Thinking
Good leaders are optimistic. By exuding optimism, they motivate, energize, and elevate the confidence of those around them. The ability to view challenge as opportunity, to believe in the potential of people and situations, and to celebrate short-term success without the fear of establishing a finish line is why teams stand behind optimistic leaders. Optimism
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The Relationship Between Feedback and Caring
The motivation behind offering criticism and critique to others has a profound impact on how people respond to feedback. It is painfully obvious to those on the receiving end whether a leader cares about them as people and whether the intention of their criticism is to make them better. Leaders who fail to spend the…