Tag: Listening

Our automatic thoughts come from our early programming. We act on them without pause.
We often regret them and wish we’d thought more before acting.

I’ve been an executive coach for two decades and before that a leader in defence, law-enforcement and commerce. Despite that, I’m still learning to be a better leader myself as I help others. I was asked recently if I could distil everything about being a great leader down to three traits. I described those traits […]

Max (not his real name) was my new client, a CEO of a mid-sized infrastructure service provider (industry changed for privacy). He had asked me to help him improve his leadership skills. I agreed because he had the ‘learner’s attitude’, despite his solid experience as a respected senior leader.  He believed in continuous improvement and […]

Asking and listening – that’s it. Gone are the days when leaders could just be command and control addicts. Gone are the days when leaders are anointed the alleged gurus in their field. Educated informed and concerned employees worth their salt need more than gurus and bosses. Google is guru and bosses are dinosaurs. Today’s […]

How many times have you heard a frustrated manager say “But I’ve already told them!”? When I ask a client, who has just aid that, the question “When did you tell them?” I invariably get told of the specific time when it was said. The problem is that we need to hear important things said […]

I observed the CEO addressing his five direct reports, all C-level executives.  It was their routine weekly update, a short loose agenda meeting, designed to keep each other in the picture.  No great detail was required, just a dashboard approach. What dismayed me was the time the CEO took explaining what he thought, wanted, found, […]