Your first 90 days as a manager: A simple plan that actually works
A simple 90-day plan for new managers: get to know your team and context, set up a rhythm of one-on-ones and team meetings, then build a plan you can deliver.
management
6 tips for setting direction for your team when you’re still figuring things out
What do you do when you’re a manager … and you’re not sure what to do? That might sound like a contradiction. Managers are meant to lead. To provide clarity. To set the direction. But what happens when you don’t feel clear yet? Maybe you’re…
From Italian speed limits to workplace policies: Close the gap or chaos wins
Here’s another leadership lesson from driving in Italy. In Italy, everyone speeds. Whatever the speed limit is, they go faster. Well, most of the time. Sometimes they don’t. Which is deeply confusing as a visitor. In Australia, if you speed, you’ll almost certainly get caught…
Positive affirmations for leaders: Woo or worthwhile?
I used to think positive affirmations were a bit silly. Quotes like “I am enough” and “abundance flows through me” feel vague, like the kind of thing you’d see printed on a cheap scented candle. But I’ve been doing daily positive affirmations for a few…
Authenticity matters more than doing leadership the way it’s always been done
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…
The hard truth about managing people: It’s stressful, frustrating and not for everyone
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.…
Behind the scenes: Launching our first physical product, the Daily Acts of Leadership cards
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…
How walking meetings can reduce wasted time and boost your well-being
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…
The hard truth about management: navigating stress and emotional challenges is part of the job
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,…
Effective team engagement hack: 5 Slides in 5 minutes
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, we must recognise that we’re costly overheads to our organisations
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…
Book summary: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
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…
The art of difficult conversations: strategies for honest and respectful dialogue
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…
When you think you’ve got a lot of bad employees, you need to look at management first
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…
Why new managers should embrace Chesterton’s Fence before making changes
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…
Why leaders in new roles should avoid big changes
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…
Ask for commitment not loyalty
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…
Becoming a manager requires next level time management
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…
Apologising doesn’t make you weak
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…
Has ‘leadership’ lost its meaning?
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…