Situational Leadership

Do you crack under pressure?

July 21, 2017
Many otherwise strong leaders have a glaring weakness: They buckle under pressure. To withstand pressure, you need to adopt the right attitude. Here are three keys to persevering when it counts.

Cite hard numbers to prove your worth

July 13, 2017
Q. I’ve been a midmanager here for 10 years. Recently, I got a new boss who’s decades younger than me, and I’m suddenly an outcast. I’ve been treated terribly by this person, even though I’ve been supportive and made his job easier. When I asked what gives, he said, “You have to prove your relevance to me.” Outrageous!

Your priorities vs. appeasing higher-ups

June 22, 2017
Q: I keep getting grief from my board for not developing my managers, but there are only so many priorities that I can address at once. How can I satisfy the board without dropping the ball on some other top priority?

Tolerate mistakes–but only once

June 19, 2017
Like any CEO, Amy Rees Anderson wishes that employees wouldn’t make costly errors. Yet she’s willing to look past well-intentioned mistakes as long as they turn into learning opportunities.

Vendor vexation? Do it yourself

June 7, 2017

“We needed to work with a strong technical team to support our firm’s growth, but we couldn’t find the right partner. Surprisingly, it’s rare to find a tech firm that combines high-quality creative designers and skilled developers who can produce exceptional results…”

How one CEO survived layoffs day

May 29, 2017
The morning before announcing a big layoff, Jim Bryan made a call to his executive coach. And he received some invaluable advice.

Hey you, put that phone down!

May 12, 2017
It’s bad enough if people look down at their devices rather than pay attention to the proceedings in a meeting. But it creates a downhill spiral if others notice and resent their colleagues’ behavior.

Slow motion leadership

February 15, 2017
It took 25 years, but Germany is reaping the benefits of investing in the infrastructure of East Germany.

A lesson in time management

February 13, 2017
“I’ve always thought that time management comes down to the choices that you make, and the process has to be intentional.”

NASA’s quiet secret weapon

February 2, 2017
Key to the success of NASA’s Apollo 11 moon landing was an unassuming black woman named Katherine Johnson.