Jake Pavelka,
the Bachelor (yes, I secretly watch the show—I am a romantic at heart) said that he wanted to find a mate who “had his back.” I have facilitated dozens of team effectiveness offsites and invariably participants will claim that they either want to know their teammates have their backs, or recall that their highest performing teams were those with members who “had their backs.” I am not sure when or how the term entered the lexicon. I know that it is permeating the language now and particularly in team settings.
When Leaders have Each Other’s Backs, Teams Have Less Tangles
Topics:
Trust
collaboration
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Leaders . . . Untangle Your Own Fears and Minimize Your Corporate Tangles
As the leader of my own firm, the hardest thing that I have had to do during these challenging times is manage myself . . . and my own fear. The newspaper headlines do not help. This morning, one of the top headlines in the Wall Street Journal screamed "New Fears as Credit Markets Tighten Up." This was like a red light, siren alert: Marcia, arm yourself, and hold on, it is getting worse. As an expert in human and organizational dynamics, I intellectually know that I am "catastrophizing." That is, I am taking one data point and in my mind, extending it out to its worst possible consequence. I know that this is not healthy emotionally, psychologically, or strategically. It is difficult to shore up my confidence and come up with creative business solutions when my mind and body are frozen with fear.
Shaun White, Olympic Gold Medalist, and VUCA Leadership
One of my guilty pleasures is watching
Oprah. I don't watch it live so when I do have a few free moments, I turn on the digital video recorder and catch up. Last week, on February 19, Oprah had
Shaun White, the Olympic Gold medalist on as one of her guests. He flew overnight from Vancouver to Chicago to be on her show. I have to admit that I hadn't been following Shaun White, his career, or his sport--snowboarding. I did catch his medal winning half pipe performance and his exuberant reaction to winning gold. When he spoke to Oprah about what it takes to pull of such a daring performance, my ears perked up. There is a relationship to VUCA and tangles I thought!
You Can’t Hurry Trust . . . You Just Have to Wait
There is an old song first sung by the
Supremes, and later by
Phil Collins and others, called “You Can’t Hurry Love.” The lyrics often run through my mind when I am working with leadership teams. Only the problem isn’t love. It is trust. You really can't hurry trust. As an organizational consultant and executive coach, I have often been hired to help teams who are struggling to perform optimally. More often than not, I find that there is a fundamental trust issue within the team.
Why Exceptional Leaders Provide Air Cover . . . And Prevent Tangles
As an executive development expert, I’ve facilitated dozens of 360 degree leadership assessments, team development, and new leader assimilation processes. Along the way, I have learned that leaders get dinged if they don’t provide air cover to their direct reports. When I first heard the term “air cover,” I was surprised. On the other hand, military language, like sports talk, permeates the business lexicon. I decided to delve deeper and see what it really means.
Leaders: Avatar, Differences, and Organizational TanglesTM
There’s a buzz in the air about the movie
Avatar. My husband and I trekked over to our local IMAX theater (
www.imax.com) this past weekend and were not disappointed. The movie truly sets a new standard for moviemakers and moviegoers alike. I was transported to Pandora, a totally different world, light years away. My senses were delighted with lush landscapes, new animal species, and an indigenous population of 9 to 12 foot tall blue inhabitants, called the
Na’Vi. With the 3-D glasses, I truly felt like I could touch and feel the distant future, 2154.
Last Minute Holiday Shopping? Give the Development Gift Pack
I have agreed to be a sponsor to
Lominger, a division of
Korn Ferry International? Why did I agree to do this? I was trained in all of the Lominger products in 1998. Since then, I have been using them as a regular part of my organizational consulting and executive coaching practice. I like these tools because they are smart, research based, and provide leaders with actionable feedback and a variety of developmental remedies.
Invest in Developing Leaders Who Must Lead in Turbulent Times
This morning, I was browsing the Wall Street Journal online, looking for some good news. I came upon two articles byDana Mattioli. Her first article, "Despite Cutbacks, Firms Invest in Developing Leaders," brought a smile to my face. Apparently, many firms realize that they need to continue developing their leaders if they are to thrive during these turbulent times.
Today’s Leaders Must Up their Game
We are living in tumultuous times. Today's business leaders need to be more discerning in gathering and processing business and environmental data. They need to be more accurate in setting strategy, and more effective in leading the execution of that strategy. Additionally, leaders must work harder to focus employees on being productive, while at the same time helping them make sense of the current reality and direction. Finally, today's leaders need to be masterful in both nurturing top talent and motivating the workforce, particularly if they have had to reduce headcount. In a word, leaders must up their game. Are you up for the task?
Night of the Living Dead, VUCA, and Strangling Tangles
This past Halloween, my husband and I locked ourselves in our darkened home, and watched a dvd of
Night of the Living Dead. I had never seen it before and to be honest, I can’t say that I truly watched the whole thing. I spent part of the movie hidden under a blanket! If you haven’t seen it before, it contains some very gruesome scenes. However, as your intrepid Tangle Doctor, I couldn’t help see applications for saving corporate America form their own nights of the living dead.
