Kanter offers leaders a good, simple metaphor for strategic thinking. The Zoom in/ Zoom out button on a camera. Check out her recent short blog video on HBR here Leaders need to Zoom in close to the details and personal relationships involved with the work Leaders need to Zoom out to the bigger picture and [...]
Archive for the ‘Practices for working with Complex challenges’ Category
New strategic thinking tips for leaders from Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Posted in Practices for working with Complex challenges, Resources for leaders on April 6, 2011 | 1 Comment »
When real leadership is mistaken for a midlife crisis!
Posted in Inspiration and support, Practices for working with Complex challenges on December 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
You might be surprised to realize that those mid life crisis type of feelings are a normal part of real leadership. Your emotions are a prelude for stepping into the leadership arena. Read more in a short article by Loretta by clicking here Leadership not midlife crisis!
Three understandable mistakes that leaders make in the first month
Posted in Practices for working with Complex challenges, Resources for leaders on November 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Taking on a leadership role in a new organisation is a huge transition and leaders often place unrealistic expectations on themselves. Make a good impression! Understand everything! Make decisions fast! Take care with these expectations – they can trip you up; Mistake number one: Get some quick wins In a bid to prove value, leaders [...]
Why you don’t have to change your job…
Posted in Inspiration and support, Practices for working with Complex challenges on September 16, 2010 | 2 Comments »
People often seek out a coach when they feel worn out and disillusioned. Their big question is “should I leave my job?” While there are some circumstances where leaving is the only option, it should be the last resort. Another job might seem like an attractive escape but the losses incurred are substantial. As well [...]
How much time should leaders spend talking?
Posted in Practices for working with Complex challenges, Resources for leaders on August 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
What are you doing all day? When researchers follow business leaders around all day they find that most of their day is spent having conversations. This doesn’t mean just talking! A huge part of an effective leader’s conversation is listening. Nancy Klein, a global leadership expert, agrees. Nancy teaches leaders how to enable others to [...]
What to do, when you don’t know what to do!
Posted in Inspiration and support, Practices for working with Complex challenges on March 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
A wonderful memoir of a Harvard Law grad’ who left a well-paying respectable law role is “This Time I Dance”. Tama Kieves wanted to work with passion and purpose and not feel half dead on the job. She maps the real challenges of that decision, recording the emotions, fears and insecurities she went through day-to-day. // Amongst [...]
Leadership: using confusion to get to wisdom
Posted in Practices for working with Complex challenges, Reflection on January 31, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Sooner or later we all come to a point of transition in our lives where we feel confused and unsure. Life can not go on as usual. This phase has been described as ”lost in the forest” by Jean Bolen, in her work with midlife change. The forest metaphor works in leadership too. As leaders there are often [...]
Leadership and Seth Godin’s new book “The linchpin”
Posted in Inspiration and support, Practices for working with Complex challenges, Resources for leaders on January 27, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Every now and then someone captures the essence of the time. Seth Godin has just released his new book “The linchpin: Are you indispensible?” that will resonate with many of us and inspire even stronger leadership in these complex times. The Lynchpin tells our story in a way that connects us together and makes us want to [...]
Goals off the pedestal?
Posted in 1, Practices for working with Complex challenges, Reflection, tagged Leadership on October 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Goal setting” has occupied an almost untouchable place in commonsense approaches to leadership and change. But in some leadership circles, the holy grail of goal setting is coming under scrutiny and being challenged. A goal setting approach to life is predicated on knowing what to do, and simply “just doing it”. Goal setting assumes that [...]
The ‘inner life’ and leadership
Posted in Mindfulness and spirituality, Practices for working with Complex challenges, Reflection, tagged Purpose, spirituality, wisdom on June 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I have been reading Parker Palmers work. I was struck by his words in a book called “Let Your Life Speak” (2000). He advocates the role of the “inner life”, as so important for leaders to embrace. Traditional leaders are often extroverts and focused on the technical skills to manage the external world of things [...]
