Blog #252 Drenched in sweat, covered in caked-on gravel dust, and with the constant reminder of saddle sores, I keep my legs pedaling at 85 RPMs while maintaining a heart rate under 137 beats per minute. So far, I have only stopped to fill my hydration pack and to change Audible books. At the end of the weekend, I will have completed over 130 miles. It is almost July in
Blog #251 I believe our collective consciousness is slipping into a funk. People are becoming tired of being cooped up. They are frustrated, nervous about the civil unrest, scared about a resurgence in the pandemic, worried about their job or finances, and all the uncertainty that comes with these concerns. In other words, we are in a funk. I frequently see this with the leadership teams I advise. I think
Blog #250 Maximizing the highest and best use of our teams is one of the primary obligations of leaders. Thankfully, there are many tools out there to help with this. Some call it “Delegate and Elevate,” a process where senior leaders focus on completing tasks that will have the greatest impact and delegating tasks that do not. The challenge comes when leaders work directly with the frontline people – everyone
Blog #249 Recently, I was awarded an Honorary Fellowship with the University of York in the United Kingdom. It is incredibly humbling to be an honorary staff member of this amazing institution. I have genuinely enjoyed working with this team, as well as the journey it has taken to get here… “Always curious, always learning” is a core value of Reka’s and mine. While on a hut-to-hut hike through northern
Blog #248 As I check the morning news, I see there has been another massive night of rage in our country. It makes me sad to see this. I believe there are many contributing factors that fan the flame sparked by George Floyd’s death, including lingering racism, fear, lack of trust, socioeconomic issues, tribalism, educational inequalities, pent-up sequestration anger, the government, the media, Antifa, and many others. Most of all,
Blog #247 I am huge fan of time blocking, which is the act of setting aside specific times in the day or week to focus on only one activity at a time. The intention is that if you focus on one thing at a time and do it well, you will be much more productive. In his book, The One Thing, Gary Keller discusses the ineffectiveness of multitasking, suggesting that
Blog #246 When I begin working with a new organization, it is common for the existing corporate structure to be a bit clunky. Typically, this is a result of the company going through growing pains. I have witnessed numerous instances where a company functions well, but is not reaching its full potential for growth. Often, the senior leaders realize they need to reorganize the org chart for smoother reporting and
Blog #245 My favorite writer on leadership health, Patrick Lencioni, suggests that team health comes down to the trust the team members have with each other. I could not agree more. During client sessions, we do check-ins where I express my expectations of the team for that day; I typically say something similar to Patrick Lencioni’s advice, but with variations. My objective is to maximize our time together – to
Blog #244 Currently, I am training for an endurance mountain biking event, and as a result, am getting plenty of time in the saddle. This past weekend, I spent seven solitary hours on the dusty, graveled hills of Nebraska. I have found that while riding, I like to build my knowledge base by listening to lectures and books. One of the lectures I listened to during my weekend ride was
Blog #243 As a trusted strategic advisor and facilitator, I feel privileged to get a candid, inside look at businesses and a snapshot of what is working and what is not during this COVID-19 challenge. I consistently observe how the impact of these challenges amplifies strengths; in some cases, a team’s weaknesses (opportunities) become clear. What I mean by this is healthy, trusting leadership teams typically thrive due to their
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