Tag Archives: leadership

Five Signs of an Anxious Leader

An anxious leader whose primary concern is to be liked, affirmed, or appreciated will find their effectiveness compromised. Here are five signs of an anxious leader. Continue reading

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Four Facts About Reactivity

Reactivity typically is misdirected at the wrong object. Because leaders occupy the position of greatest responsibility in the system they often are the focus of misdirected and misplaced reactivity. Leaders who have the capacity to remember and accept that “This is not about me” can avoid taking it personally or making the expressions, messages, and behaviors of reactivity a personal issue. Continue reading

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What to Do When Your Industry Is Dying

One day I came home from school and dad was sitting at the kitchen table. Before him disassembled into many pieces was a brand new hand-held Texas Instruments digital calculator. With screwdriver in hand he looked at me and said, “This is what’s putting me out of business.” Continue reading

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A Leader’s Response When Self-Interest Becomes an Impasse

Every leader will encounter the challenge when self-interest becomes an impasse to progress, especially when significant changes need to be made in the system. When new initiatives threaten change, people protect status, resources, identity, and autonomy. In healthy doses, self-interest … Continue reading

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Homeostasis finds a way

Every move toward change seems to be met with a countermove in the form of resistance, sabotage, entrenchment, confrontation, opposition, passive aggressive strategies, or sheer stubbornness. Experienced leaders never underestimate the power of homeostasis to reestablish systemic equilibrium. Continue reading

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Ten Toxic Leadership Types

The measure of successful leadership is how well a group performs, over time, in terms of valued outcomes, or the realization of the organization’s mission. Benjamin J. Inyang considers leadership as process which “involves the use of non-coercive influence to … Continue reading

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Lead like a pirate!

I have a couple of friends who are really into “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (September 19 in case you’re wondering). One dresses up like a pirate for the day  (in Johnny Depp “Pirates of the Caribbean” style) and plays … Continue reading

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Family Secrets in Multigenerational Patterns

Family secrets represent complex phenomena that reflect and reinforce multigenerational patterns of functioning. Through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory, we understand that these secrets are not simply about hidden information but about the emotional processes that govern family life. Continue reading

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Emotional Integration in Organizations

At the conclusion to a recent presentation on leadership in organizations someone asked, “How would you define emotional integration in an organization?” While I did not use that phrase in my presentation, it was a good question. The term integration … Continue reading

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The Micromanaging Pitfall

The transition from micromanager to effective leader requires conscious effort and sometimes uncomfortable personal growth. But the rewards—a high-performing, innovative team that operates effectively even in the leader’s absence—are well worth the investment. Continue reading

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