Leading Employees in a Positive Direction Knowing when to push people or the organization forward, and when to hold back while still getting forward movement, is an important part of the art and science of leadership. Being a leader is about being able to manage the gap between where people are [...]

One thing is certain in leadership: wherever we are or whatever we are doing, we will always be leading and managing some sort of change. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously wrote, “People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.” As leaders, a big [...]

A flywheel is a heavy wheel that regulates the speed of machinery. It takes awhile to get started. Once it gets going, it turns smoothly and efficiently. Momentum begins to takeover and the wheel turns almost effortlessly. It’s the same scenario with a symbolic flywheel powering an [...]

Organizations in most industries are currently experiencing a rapid pace of change and increasing competition, forcing leaders to implement programs and initiatives designed for improvements. On the surface, implementing these initiatives are often on a case-by-case basis to address a specific [...]

When Dr. Brendan Kelly arrived on the University of South Carolina Upstate scene to serve as chancellor, he quickly identified the need to establish an improvement mindset across the organization. “We didn’t talk about our future. We only talked about what we were.” During his recent [...]

 IMPACT IN THE INTERIM From 2013 until 2019, University of West Georgia President, Dr. Kyle Marrero, led the University to achieve records in enrollment, graduation rates, and to develop new student-centered partnerships. He worked to develop a strategic plan within his first year and [...]

“The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.”  – Gruenter & Whitaker As a leader of an organization, department or division, it is imperative that you have a great team to work with in order to succeed. It is equally imperative [...]

Mentoring new employees is a must as the first few months are the most critical for new hires. Studies have consistently shown that a significant percentage of employees who leave an organization do so within the first 90 to 120 days. Starting on day one, it is nice for new employees to have a [...]

How do you become a leader that everyone wants to work for? Lead by permission and not by authority. Every boss has a title. That title gives them an authority to lead, make decisions, delegate, instruct and discipline. Successful leaders view their title and role as an honor given to them by [...]

Four years ago… you couldn’t get a group of people in the room to have a shared conversation and understanding about who we were, what our purpose was, and where we were headed. Sabrina Hebeler is the Chief of Staff for Michigan State University’s Infrastructure Planning and [...]

A person’s motivations for working ties directly to purpose Think about where you work. Are your coworkers achieving their highest potential? Are you achieving your highest potential? Professionals spend a majority of their days logging hours at work; however, the vast majority are disengaged. [...]

As humans, we all have emotions. We like to hear what we are good at. We love knowing that we are appreciated. It is important to know that our contributions are making a difference. Taking the time to recognize a job well done and to connect an employee’s performance with the organization’s [...]

As a leader, how you communicate matters. When you model positive communication, you not only set an example, but you also set an expectation for how to interact within your organization. What you permit, you promote. It’s vital to take necessary steps to avoid “We/They” [...]

As leaders we hear things like applying “soft” skills is not as important as focusing on “hard” data, such as student achievement. Our collective work with district and school leaders shows us otherwise. We’ve found that employee and student achievement is difficult to improve without leaders [...]

“Organizations that extend development to all levels are 4.2 times more likely to outperform those that don’t.”  –Global Leader Forecast 2018 In order to thrive, organizations need to continuously develop people at all levels and across all teams. Success isn’t accidental. Intentionally [...]

Be willing to make the tough decisions, and once you’ve made your decision, don’t go back on your word. Even if people are against you or disagree with you, it is important that you can confidently and decisively make smart decisions. – Like a Boss: Six Defining Characteristics that all [...]

In the beginning when a leader steps into a new role, everything is possible. Good leaders will take on new challenges in their careers with enthusiasm and optimism. Great leaders will do even more. If they want to have an impact in a new job, they know that they also need to push for greatness [...]

The Evidence Based Leadership Framework creates the backbone for organizational success. The first two stages of the framework link intentionally building team capacity aligned to what is most important to accomplish in the succession plan. In the stage of identifying the measures that matter, [...]

Jim Collins in Good to Great reinforces the importance of having the “right people in the right seats on the bus” within your organization. Strong team members bring specific knowledge, skills, and experiences to the team, while great organizations intentionally develop learning and leadership [...]

It may take eight weeks or longer to replace a person leaving a position. During this transition, remaining team members are left filling the gaps. Therefore, preparing in advance for employee transitions is a direct benefit to every member of the team and the organization. Developing a "Year [...]