High Performance Leadership

I once had a boss who, during my performance evaluation, told me that I was doing a good job as a leader but that I needed to develop more of an edge. I wasn't quite assertive enough. She was concerned that people might take advantage of me. I worked on my edge as a result. I sharpened it thru steady practice. I had an edge to end all edges. At the next evaluation, what do you think she suggested? "You need to dial that edge down a bit," she laughed. It's not either/or. Assertiveness is valuable and necessary. Aggression, not so much. You don't have to dull your edge -- just don't cut yourself with it. -- doug smith

How often do you cheat yourself? How often do you say you're not good enough or fast enough or young enough? How often do you defer to someone else's judgment when you know, just KNOW, that they are wrong? There are times to defer. Humility is a strength. It's also important to take care of yourself and to look out for your own interests. People can only respect you as much as you respect yourself. Never cheat yourself and you're far less likely to ever cheat anyone else. -- doug smith

Who on your team needs to improve? Most front line leaders can think of at least one person right away who really needs to improve. Their performance is disappointing, and they might even be sitting on the bubble of an early exit. Absolutely, work with them on improvement. Coach them, collaborate on a plan, follow-up diligently, and firmly insist on progress. Laziness and apathy are not options. Of course, you also know who else needs improvement. You do. Every leader faces the constant need for development. Build your core skills. Improve your ability to communicate for results. Find new ways to build your team. Grow. Insist on your own improvement. Insist on improvement from everyone on your team. Even the super stars. In fact, your super stars need improvement the most because if they do not feel that they are being challenged and growing they will likely leave. And then where will your team be? Do you want to build your team? Insist on improvement. Not harshly. Not with...

Do you ever work with people who seem to be intentionally difficult to work with? No matter what you say, no matter how curious you stay, no matter how compassionately you approach them they persist in doing contrary things, passive aggressive actions, and outright interference? Maybe it's not the time for compassion. Maybe the time of understanding and empathy is over. When people are intentionally hard to work with they need to see your assertive courage more than your compassion. A bully will keep on pushing until the pushing is stopped. An intentionally difficult person needs to see and experience your boundaries and the consequences of breaking those boundaries. How do you know when they are being intentionally difficult? Ask. If their words don't tell you, their body language probably will. Put them on notice that you see the boundaries being broken and that it's not acceptable. Because in the end, intentional or not, strong supervisors -- even compassiona...