The Single Most Important Question Every Manager Must Ask

When Jack Welch ran GE, one of the rules he introduced was to trim the deadwood from his organization by systematically and consistently firing the bottom 20 percent of GE performers every year. That was Jack’s way of saying I want a team composed of the best and the brightest, and I am willing to take what some view as ruthless and unpopular action to achieve it.

Similarly,but on a much more modest scale, when the small group of Microsoft founders told Bill, “We have 12 great people now but the time has come to recruit the next 12,”… Read the full article >

When Conflict Breaks Your SWING

When there is subterranean conflict across functions and sub-teams within your management team, it puts you out of swing. The team gets stuck and can’t access all its talent. Eventually this starts slowing down the team and its results. Such a conflict often means that peers aren’t asking for what they really want and need. Instead their unmet request play out in odd ways – unanswered calls, negative gossiping, and resentment building up. Taking the time to bring the whole extended team together and walk through issue by issue, focusing on who needs to do what so you can… Read the full article >

Why Miserable Leaders Claim they have a Horrible Team

A friend of mine told me that his friend, a top leader at a top company, actually said:  “I am great leader, but my team sucks.” We laughed hystertically!  It is so absurb.  Yet there are many leaders out there that think this.

Jim Collins’ extensive research in Good to Great tells us that great leaders of long term financially successful companies are the opposite of this leader.  They are humble.  They credit their success on how lucky they are to have such a great team working for them.

Yet I can empathize with this frustration of a leader who feels his team… Read the full article >

How Leaders Can Ask For Help and Keep Their Team’s Confidence

It’s a stereotype that men would rather be lost than stop and get directions, but it turns out asking for help carries a psychological penalty for guys. A study from researchers at Duke University, the University of San Diego, and the University of Pittsburgh found that male leaders who ask for help are perceived as being less competent. When female leaders solicit help, however, the negative image didn’t apply.

“What drives this perception is that help-seeking is atypical for men but not for women,” says Dave Lebel, assistant professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz… Read the full article >

When Leaders Must Cross The Toughness Line

With decades of talk about improving “emotional intelligence” (code for being nicer), and societies questioning gender roles–for men and women-the challenge for leaders is what is the toughness line and can they cross it?

One of the largest research studies on the traits of effective leaders, known as The Big Five, concludes that tough and even “abusive” leaders may be unavoidable and even desirable. The study identified Neuroticism (characterized by moodiness, jealousy and emotional reactivity) as one of the top traits of effective leaders. Abusiveness is a fuzzy line.  Some people perceive and cry abuse with leaders who use tough talk.  Others aren’t bothered… Read the full article >