“I feel guilty.” The seasoned tech lead paused. He explained to me that the Ladder of Leadership, from David Marquet’s intent-based leadership model, resonated with him. He wanted to be a Level 5 leader. He wanted to empower the younger engineers he was mentoring. But he couldn’t. The younger engineersContinue Reading
In Part I I promised a comparison of maneuver warfare and the values and principles of agile development. I was surprised to find so many similarities! One is a strategy around warfare and the other grew up around software development, so of course there are some differences. In the followingContinue Reading
I tried not to talk too fast, but it wasn’t working. A senior VP engaged me on the topic of leadership, and I knew I didn’t have a lot of time for discussion. It started with me asking if I could give feedback on his message at an all-hands meeting.Continue Reading
Jacob stood a stone’s throw from the assembly area. Day 3 of his research into safety in the manufacturing area. His shoulders stiffened every time he looked up from writing notes, his body making him aware of the sideways glances of the people in the area. Jacob thought for aContinue Reading
“Your manager kicked you out of his office?” Nicole asked. Jacob shook his head. He slouched in his seat at the small table and took a sip of coffee. Too hot and unusually bitter. “I want to make things safer. Why is that not important to him?” They were discussingContinue Reading
“I can’t decide.” Jacob’s best friend Andy shook his head and took the opportunity to move ahead of him in line at the counter to order his bagel and coffee. 12 kinds of bagels, whole, sliced, or sliced and toasted, 4 flavors of cream cheese, 3 coffee flavors, 4 kindsContinue Reading
You’re on a mission! (right?) If you haven’t set aside a few minutes to work up a first draft of a mission statement, find direction in the last article. In this article, we’ll look into generating key characteristics and critical actions, two pieces of the personal story pitch puzzle. InContinue Reading
In the last article we talked about creating a personal life plan which culminated in writing a personal story pitch. Today we’ll break down the first step of creating that plan, writing a mission statement. How is a mission statement different from a vision statement and why do we needContinue Reading
Q2 Leaders are – or are at least curious about – living life on purpose. It’s everything to do with the first 3 Habits (of the 7 Habits): Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First. I’ve come across a step-by-step process for creating aContinue Reading
At this time of the year, December, we focus a lot on giving. We buy gifts, we make treats to share, and we host parties and dinners. We hear that it’s better to give than to receive. Do you feel a little guilty when you receive a gift? Maybe notContinue Reading