growing-leader

When good habits bring bad results

“They know what they need to do; they’re just not doing it.” That was how someone judged their team members in a recent conversation. The person wanted to know how they could get the people on their team to step up and pull their weight. Some were producing results, and others weren’t. I asked about…
As a leader, are you too big to fail?

I had success all wrong. As an individual software developer, when my code did what it was supposed to do, the way it was supposed to do it, that was success. Then I became a leader of software developers. In that role, when our team project delivered what it was supposed to deliver, the way…
Silence the internal noise

Before I write this, let me check if I got a response to my question yet. Oh, and I needed to order more paper for the printer. And there are those three unchecked boxes on my to-do list. They’ll only take me about five minutes each and they’re just nagging me! Even if you use…
Don’t try to be the person who succeeds

Some leaders want to advance in their career. They make a pitch that they get good results and their team members and coworkers are happy. They connect with other departments to gain visibility and let other teams know they’re open to bigger opportunities. They tell their boss they want to be the first person in…
You will compare yourself to others

“Don’t fall into the comparison trap” is a confusing warning. You can’t avoid comparing yourself with others. But you can avoid falling into a trap. What matters is how you respond to what you notice. If they’re better than you are at a certain skill: ✅ You can admire them and find inspiration to become…
Your most valuable leadership resource

“Our people are our most valuable asset,” they say. Careful. It’s a trap. And if, as a leader, you believe that your people are your most valuable asset, you’ll miss a more important point. “Your” people don’t belong to you. And when companies start to act like human beings are assets, they stop treating them…
Yes, work on your weaknesses

“Stop fixating on your weaknesses; focus on developing your strengths.” That’s what they say. I get it. And I don’t completely agree. Sure, you can often get a much greater return investing your time and energy on further strengthening what you already do well. After all, what you do well is how you create value.…
It’s a person, not a project

The words were painful to hear: “I’ve always enjoyed working with you. I’ve always hated working for you.” These words came from one of my direct reports in a one-on-one. In our company, they had a reputation of being hard to work with. They were technically brilliant. And like many technically brilliant engineers, their people…
Good managers are like smart LCD film

My family knows I’m obsessed with the idea of large glass picture windows giving an unobstructed view to a natural back yard. Most of the time, that dream seems ideal. But after the sun goes down, that complete transparency is no longer the best thing. ❌ Other people can see into the house, introducing a…
Listen

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood” is Habit #5 of Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He once called it “the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations.” When you truly believe that every human being has something they can teach you, listening to understand…