You demonstrated leadership skills by taking on new projects, communicating clearly to others, providing thoughtful ideas and today...you finally got the promotion you’ve been waiting for! But...now you’re managing one of your best friends at work. The one you’ve partied with and commiserated with. Can you keep your friendship and be her leader at the same time? Yes is the answer. But it takes work and it takes specific leadership skills, like communication, compassion, and focus. Here are a few things to do as you navigate your new role: 1. Be clear and open: Sit down immediately with your friend and have a conversation about your role and discuss expectations around your relationship. Expl
You cannot manage time; it flies by out of control, whether you want it to or not. You can, however, manage yourself - your actions, your behaviors, your habits. Yes, it’s tough to change, to use new tools, and to be patient for it all to work. Start with one new change every two weeks and give it time to work: 1. Tackle The Important Stuff - Spend Friday afternoon or Sunday evening laying out your week in front of you. If what you have on your calendar and to-do list does not help you reach your long-term goals, determine if it’s worth your time. Then, first thing each day, write down three to five things you must accomplish that day. If your list is too long and unrealistic, you won’t feel
As you grow as a leader, there are many lessons to learn from those before you. Tim Ferriss’ podcast with Doris Kearns Goodwin hit home for me and I couldn’t take notes fast enough. Here are my takeaways from The Life Lessons and Success Habits of Four Presidents: 1. Surround yourself with people who don’t agree with you like Abraham Lincoln did. Encourage your team members to question your assumptions, to come up with ideas to make your ideas better, and to feel comfortable doing so. Saying “this is an idea I have, but feel free to poke holes in it to make it better” welcomes criticism in a positive way. 2. Celebrate the small successes like FDR did. Don’t wait to pat your team on the back
Do you avoid the f-word in your organization? That word is FAILURE and it is often seen as well...failing, when in fact, you’re helping your employees grow and learn. Post-It Notes, Silly Putty and Dropbox all came from failures. “The best companies are those that encourage failure, embrace out-of-the-box thinking, and allow employees to make mistakes and see what happens,” states Simon Casuto, co-founder and president of eLearning Mind in this Forbes article. Start with these strategies, try them out, fail a bit, then make them your own: Value - Create a culture that values new approaches and making mistakes. Embed it in your value system and everything you do. That means not getting mad o
