When we enter management, we often feel we have to become what we can see. We tend to assume that leadership has to look a certain way. That it needs to be strong, unemotional, rigid and in control – because that’s how it’s so often…
Managing people is often annoying and exhausting. Our team members can confuse us, rub us the wrong way and disappoint us. This is genuinely frustrating and difficult to navigate at times. But it’s no excuse to drop our standards of respect and effectiveness as leaders.…
I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement as Joel carefully cut open the carton on my dining room table yesterday. Inside was the final piece of something we’ve been working on for months: our first ever physical product, the Daily Acts of Leadership card…
Most of us want to spend less time in meetings and more time outside. I’ve found a simple hack that ticks both boxes. Even better: you can do it today, and you won’t need any time off work. Here’s:1️⃣ What it is2️⃣ Why it works3️⃣…
Here’s something I used to feel guilty about: there are days where I don’t feel like being a manager. I’ve come to learn that feeling like this at times is both common, and entirely understandable. Because here’s the hard truth: a lot of the time,…
Managers, here’s a simple but effective team engagement hack I picked up a few years ago: At your next management meeting, invite someone else from the team or wider organisation — ideally someone less experienced — to give a quick presentation. Here’s the parameters: five…
As managers, particularly as we become more senior and accumulate more responsibility, it’s tempting to get lost in our own growing sense of self-importance and start to believe that we are the ones that add the real value. The reality though is quite different. As…
The book in a paragraph Updated: November 2024. There are five fundamental causes of team dysfunction: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results. These dysfunctions can lead to team failure. The way to address these dysfunctions…
Difficult conversations are called that for a reason. They’re painful—for you and the other person. Here’s how to make them suck a bit less: First: your goal isn’t to make the conversation painless. It’s to be honest, clear, and respectful while staying true to what…
A consultant really upset me once when they told our senior team that we had a bunch of sh!t people. I remember feeling viscerally upset by the comment. Because – and I said (although perhaps only less eloquently) – there’s no such thing as sh!t…
You’ve just stepped into a new management role. The urge to reshape everything is irresistible. But here’s the catch: rushing in might do more harm than good. As managers, our egos often hijack us when taking over new teams or organisations. We want to make…
When stepping into a new management role, the impulse to make early, significant changes is natural. The idea of making a big improvement to the team or the business feels energising. For most managers, this comes from wanting to have a positive impact. The desire…
Loyalty gets a lot of attention from managers (especially when they’re hurt that someone’s quit). But we should focus more on commitment, less on loyalty. Loyalty has the potential to be abused. It’s often positioned as something that should be prioritised (especially by employees, lest…
When we step up into a management role, our time management needs to go to the next level. Most people manage their time by: The most important change is to move from reactive to proactive time management. Reactive often works well enough early on in…
When was the last time you apologised for something at work? If you can’t remember, consider: are you perfect, or are you not apologising for some other reason? I’ve noticed that some people in management roles don’t like to apologise. But this approach is dead…
The word ‘leadership’ is thrown around so often that it sometimes feels like it is losing its meaning. We see it everywhere: in job titles, on LinkedIn profiles, in performance reviews. But what does it really mean to be a leader? Has the term become…
This cartoon nails it! (cartoon credit: Kendra Allenby, The New Yorker) It’s a common dilemma. One that many of us face at some point in our careers. After years of honing our (usually technical) skills, we’re presented with a crossroad: the only way up seems…
Is there such a thing as too much praise at work? Some managers think so. Here’s why they’re wrong. “You can’t hug your kids too much”. That’s what I told one of my colleagues when talking about encouraging our teams. Here’s why it matters. There…
I’ve let people go.I’ve said “no” when someone really wanted a “yes.”I’ve told my team that the business was struggling. It’s natural to want to delay delivering bad news. We put it off because we care. Because we don’t want to hurt people. But the…
You’ll want to say things like “they just weren’t a good fit for our team” or “they didn’t live up to their resume”. I know I’ve said things like this. But the best leaders take accountability for their hiring decisions. Here are three things to…