As a parent of two boys I learned a lot about how to encourage – yet put reasonable boundaries on – creativity and experimentation. No matter what form these activities took, we usually referred to … Read More
How to be a Great Leader
“I’ll have what she’s having.” No, I’m not referring to the diner scene from “When Harry Met Sally.” (This IS a business platform, after all…..). I’m paraphrasing a client’s explanation for why he wanted to … Read More
Should I hire my brother-in-law?
Does your business have a “brother-in-law” problem? No, I don’t mean your ACTUAL brother-in-law – I’m sure he’s very nice. What I’m talking about is the employee who wouldn’t be there except that he’s the … Read More
Who does an executive coach work for?
Note: For clarity I need to distinguish between the person being coached and the entity paying the invoice. I will refer to the person being coached as the “client” and the entity paying the invoice … Read More
Who should you trust at work?
I recently led a workshop for a group of very talented entrepreneurs (thank you Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship). Their requested topic was “teams” – how to hire, how to manage, how to handle issues. They … Read More
How do busy leaders deal with “languishing?”
“What are you seeing and hearing from other leaders these days?” I often get asked this question, usually as I am wrapping a session with a client. I find that the leaders I work with … Read More
Can you be yourself at work?
True confession – I have never been a great employee. I have never fit well into organizational structures, have never quietly accepted rules and politics, never accepted the “grey area” between fair and unfair, and … Read More
Thank you!
It’s been a spectacular year at our little firm. Which feels a bit awkward to say in some ways – after all, the collective marathon we’ve all been running since March 2020 has taken a … Read More
From Technical Leader to People Leader: Part 2 – The Promotion Problem
“You’re our top programmer. Congratulations, we are promoting you to Manager.” “If the company is serious about promoting me to be a manager, I’m going to have to leave. I came here for the interesting … Read More
From Technical Leader to People Leader: Part 1 – The Founder Problem
“It’s a huge problem. We don’t know how to solve it, so we need your help. Oh, and can you reduce your fee?” I’ve had this conversation twice this week, and many times more in … Read More