Cancel the Mid-Year Review

Review-time

Congratulations! You’ve officially survived the first half of this wacky year. Take a moment to reflect on everything you’ve learned along the way as you overcame countless unexpected challenges. While we all hope the remainder of this year will be better than the first half, if 2020 has taught us anything it’s to expect the unexpected. As much as we’d all like to return to some degree of normalcy soon, there are some important activities we should consider replacing. On the top of that list is the mid-year review.

Getting Back to Basics in the Face of VUCA

VUCA text

“In these unprecedented times…” How many times have you read (or written) an email with that introductory line in the past 2 months? The world has been turned upside down, and we all feel like we’re stuck in a lifeboat adrift in the sea. I used to loathe the use of the term VUCA in reference to the workplace because it was used so liberally. Was the workplace really more volatile, uncertain, complex, or ambiguous than in previous years, or do we just have a poor memory? But it would be hard to argue against labeling 2020 of the most … Read More

Leadership Is Like Swimming

Image comparing leadership to swimming

Guest blog by Robin Cochran, VP of Operations, Executive Forum Last Friday I had a meeting with someone who knew nothing about Executive Forum. As I was explaining why our leadership programs are primarily face-to-face, he broke in and said, “It’s like swimming. You can’t learn to swim on the Internet either.” There’s a lot to learn about swimming, but you really can’t swim unless you get in the water. He explained how his father had taught him to swim by taking him to the river near their home in India and pushing him in. He had to learn to … Read More

How to Lead an Introvert

The best teams are made up of very diverse individuals. They come from varied backgrounds, have different experience levels, and bring with them unique thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. Leading an introvert can be perceived as a challenge for managers who are disproportionately extroverted. You may not feel very connected to your introverted employees or feel as though they don’t participate enough in group discussions or projects. However, there is so much value in having an introvert on your team if you can identify and flex to their unique needs. Here are some tips for spotting the introvert on your team:

The Problem with High Performers

They go by a dozen different nicknames- rock stars, superstars, overachievers, A-players, etc. But regardless of the name or definition, any good leader can tell you which team members are high performers and which are not. High performers are exciting. They stand out. They are the people you go to when you need a last minute sale, are faced with an impossible deadline, or need a presentation that will dazzle a client. They set the bar for excellence on your team. But they’re also trouble-makers in an organization. Here are 7 ways that High Performers create problems for managers: