Leading Through the Dark Days

“The first rule of leadership: Everything is your fault.” – A Bug’s Life Do you remember when you were an individual contributor or “high potential” early in your career and you used to say “If I was the leader, I’d…” and you’d finish that sentence with a simple solution to the organization’s problems? Those were the days. It reminds me of the expert advice offered to parents by people without children. I often say “I was so much better at parenting until I had children.” The same is often true of leadership. It all seems so easy from the outside. … Read More

When You Lose Your Leadership Mojo

In so many ways, being a leader is a labor of love. Leaders have the privilege of sharing good news, but also the responsibility of delivering bad news. Leaders work to bring out the best in their employees and watch them flourish, but also mourn when they decide to move on to other opportunities. And when times are tough, they have to put on a brave face and inspire everyone to charge ahead even when they disagree with the battle plan. In today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) business world, it’s easy to lose your way. After you’ve been … Read More

Leadership Lessons from the Shark Tank

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just an avid reality TV fan, I would argue there’s no better show on TV for “edutainment” value than the Shark Tank. Each week, entrepreneurs enter the tank in hopes of securing an investment from one or more of the Sharks (Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec). The entrepreneurs start with their well-rehearsed (and often entertaining) pitch and then quickly launch into answering rapid fire questions from the investors. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a leader in the corporate world, there is so much to learn … Read More