Tag: Leadership
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Why Tough Love Bosses Win?
There is this Cantonese saying which says, “ćèœè±Źèć°±æŻđ©â, (the underbelly of a pig is poop âŠ) I find this to be a very common reaction from people towards managers giving candid feedback, with one interesting exception. Have you ever had a “tough love” kind of boss? Do you remember how they made you feel? One…
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âđ»{Level: 99} Professional Skillsâđ»
In video games, {Level: 99} is the maximum level. When you reach {Level: 99}, your character has achieved the limits of the game. So what are â{Level: 99} professional skillsâ like? This is the kind of stuff I work on with my clients. Letâs start with {Level: 99} đŁDiscussion:đ€How did you feel after having a…
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3 things I Stole from a Therapist
And I am applying them at work. Dr. Lee is a renowned family therapist. I took her courses because they offered live sessions for us to observe. I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT A wife complained about her husbandâs lack of involvement. When asked how he saw the situation, after a long silence, the husband muttered, âI was…
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Starting My Own Gig: First 6 Months
I ended my 20-year corporate career and started my own leadership coaching gig 6 months ago. During these first 6 months, a few very courageous souls and start-ups gave me the chance to beta-testing the corporate rah-rah I have hoarded over the years. Here are few observations: 1. âHigh-Performance; Low Potentialâ: Too often we divest from…
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The Coach That Made Me Quit My Career
âYea, video-tape your axx all you want. You think Kobe Bryant got great by only by watching VHS?â 6 months ago I decided to end my 20-year corporate career and started my own leadership coaching gig. There was one person that I blame this whole mid-life crisis on: One of my bosses at Nike. This was…
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Can Humility Be Worked On? Yes, Kind of.
âThe Value of Not Knowing.â https://www.flickr.com/photos/n0r/276318217/in/album-72157594467105582/ Being genuinely humble is such a common challenge. I see that especially in highly capable founders and managers that I get to work with. I tried to be humble too because humility was such a sparkly clean and powerful virtue: A humble leader liberates the team by personally welcoming…
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Why You Should Get Your Teams Gifts
https://snarkyinthesuburbs.com/2016/11/14/dear-snarky-kill-me-now-because-my-office-has-12-days-of-secret-santa/ One Christmas, a boss gifted us a book on mindful leadership. âOk, so you are a mindful jerk.â Someone quipped. âI want to reciprocate with âThe Five Dysfunctions of a Teamâ book.â Joked another. Another time we received cans of artisanal Baltic sardines. Greg the vegan tweeted, âItâs not personal. Itâs not personal.đđ»â And those…
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The illusion of SimplicityâââLeadership Whispers
Enso âMuichimotsuâ by Kobayashi Taigen âThis is so complicated!â We endure complicated processes, meetings that are littered with âbreak-outs,â âshare backs,â and those damn âparking lots,â and we tend to blame these on our managers. Then when we become managers, we begin to accept simplicity is merely an aspiration that sits cross-legged at the highest…
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Candor is Not EnoughâââLeadership Whispers
Dieter Rams Braun Lectron Radio 1967 âBe candid! Be honest! Yay, #teamwork !â Being âradically candid/brutally honestâ isnât instinctive because of the fear of losing relationships, the uncomfortableness of honest conversations, or any other fears for self-preservation. To tackle this, first consider these two beliefs you might lead your teams with: âWe are radically honest with each…
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âFear of the Unknownâ is Imprecise
Change is hard because it leads to failures. And failures are scary. 99% of us already know this. đ„± The Jack Mas and Ray Dalios give us reasons and tips to bear-hug fear, and then every protagonist of any âzero to heroâ movies explains to us, âItâs the fear of the unknown!â Or is it?…