Bureaucratic creep starts when a manager feels he has to exert control over how something gets done. Perhaps he’s been told to get it right “or it’s your job.” So he installs a new checkpoint to monitor a particular decision…
Research shows that the people who consider themselves the most competent are actually the least competent. (Score one for the importance of staying humble!)
Effective leaders know that building trust is the key to their effectiveness. By building trust, leaders enhance productivity, motivation and engagement, and at the same time reduce stress and turnover.
Let’s talk for a moment about “skip management.” That’s the practice of skipping a level of management to talk to someone the next level up or down. Skip management can erode trust in a hurry.
During a seminar I was conducting, a young manager raised his hand and asked: “This is all well and good. But how do I apply these ideas to managing my boss? How can I lead him where I think we need to go?”
Managers and leaders often have to make tough “right vs. right” decisions where there are strong arguments on both sides. Ultimately the toughest decisions create winners and losers. In the toughest kinds of decisions, you stand to lose yourself.
Studies show that people are motivated by many different things. Money ranks in the middle of the list.
The word communicate means “to make common.” To build trust and spark innovation, you need to use all the communication tools that you can. If you think you’re already doing enough communicating, think again.
This “Southwest Test” may not seem like much, but it says a lot about who you are and your ability to lead through other people.
When asked the secret of her cooking, the renowned chef Alice Waters liked to say: “Always start with the right ingredients.” What’s surprising is how often leaders and managers overlook this simple fact. Even one bad employee will spoil the whole bunch.
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