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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Make Individual Performance Transparent to the Team
The best leaders don’t discuss the metrics openly with the team, but rather let the numbers do the talking. They get to spend more time helping low performers develop a plan for success and less time arguing over perceptions of high performance that have long since lapsed. Truth be known, the pressure to perform is…
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When it Comes to a Critical Choice, Ask an Equally Critical Question
Consequential choice decisions that are repetitive in nature can normally be boiled down into one or more critical questions that streamline the decision. It is the goal of any leader to use their experience and wisdom, matched with data, to determine what those questions are. Whether the choice is to decide who gets the new…
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Developing an Ethic of Accountability
Great leaders are different in subtle ways. They present themselves differently, ask questions others don’t ask, and balance short and long-term goals masterfully. Perhaps most distinctive about them is the view they have about responsibility. Over the course of their lives, they have created an ethic of accountability for themselves.
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How Many Roberts Do You Know?
As personal networks expand during a career, so do learning opportunities, job offers, invitations to attend life-shaping events, and occasions to be a part of special experiences. Who you know really matters, and as your network grows, so does the probability of good fortune. So, estimating the size of your personal network and those of
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Waiting for Inspiration
Some gnarly tasks and problems require inspiration to be addressed or solved. They are primed for a brand-new solution…if only one came to mind. Without some creative insight or flight of imagination, progress becomes slowed or stalled. Inspiration is often the missing ingredient in solving a problem. Without it, leaders can’t propel the team, or…
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Lubricating the Mind and Body Before Performance
Lubricating the Mind and Body Before Performance. All high performers share a common goal. They all want to be their best each time they enter the arena, wherever that might be. Without a consistent warmup routine to lubricate the mind and body and to boost self-confidence, even talented and highly polished professionals will find it…
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Taking Charge Is Not About Getting Your Way
Those who must take charge falsely believe that without them things won’t happen. The bias for action gets translated to only I know the right actions to take. Taking charge when the situation calls for it is very different from the need to get your own way. The former is an act of leadership. The…
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Gather a Piece of Everyone You Admire
Over the course of the next few days, think deeply about the many people you admire, respect, and enjoy. Find one small piece of each of them that is worth emulating. Push beyond the superficial and attempt to identify a specific action, behavior, expression, or response that is worth adopting. Work hard to create a…
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Learning to Think on Your Feet
The mental agility to quickly process information and to respond instantaneously is a highly prized skill. When put on the spot or asked an unanticipated question, the ability to think on your feet and respond in real-time with a clever or pointed answer suggests a powerful mind. Leaders who exhibit this skill in any conversation…
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The Tyranny of the Vocal But Minor Voice
Vocal and unhappy people attract more unhappy people, who then become more vocal. A team can be turned upside down if those on the crusade are allowed a way into the everyday conversation. Unlike the crusaders, good leaders recognize that differences divide the team, while common values bind the team together. Celebrating what team members…