Confronting Toxicity

IMG_6696 copyDan has some great thoughts on toxic leadership and organizational environments. He connects the dots between two of the Leader Impact themes:  leading courageously and loving deeply. Dan Rockwell, a.k.a. Leadership Freak, writes on practical leadership in 300 words or less. Enjoy the read!

Dan Rockwell's avatarLeadership Freak

Average leaders get things done. Exceptional leaders build environments where others get things done.

Average leaders fix. Exceptional leaders build.

spider

You begin thinking leadership is all about results, but come to learn it’s about the way we treat each other. Results matter, but how you achieve results matters more.

“Results only” is the formula for toxicity.

Great places to work are about the way things get done.

When all that matters are the numbers, eventually, people don’t matter.

How:

Exceptional leaders embrace the power of how.

  1. How are we connecting?
  2. How do we support each other?
  3. How does the team feel?
  4. How is respect expressed?

Exceptional leaders define “the way” things get done.

Courageous leaders challenge back-stabbing and office politics, for example. They say, “That’s not the way we do things around here.”

Evaluate:

Organizations that neglect how things get done become lousy places to work. Frankly, soft-skills are hard…

View original post 164 more words

The Four Essential Food Groups for Leaders

On Thursday, I had the privilege to take part in a leadership development conversation with Dr. Henry Cloud, hosted by Dan Rockwell, A.K.A. Leadership Freak. The conference call focused on Henry's upcoming new book: Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships and Being Ridiculously in Charge. Dan moderated the discussion, and Henry discussed concepts from Boundaries for Leaders, including several... Continue Reading →

Mind the Gap

If you have been to London, you know the phrase "Mind the Gap". It is painted on the platforms in the underground tube stations. A woman's voice with a lovely British accent reminds riders as they exit to Mind the Gap (though she pronounces it like "Moind thee Gop"). Now, try saying "Moind thee Gop"... Continue Reading →

How Great Leaders like Martin Luther King Cast Vision

“Those who have most powerfully and permanently influenced their generation have been the “seers”- men who have seen more and farther than others.”  J. Oswald Sanders “Vision is our deepest expression of what we want – the preferred future, a desirable state.”   Peter Block One of the key responsibilities of any leader is to cast vision.  Vision is... Continue Reading →

The Transforming Power of Gratitude

Is gratitude truly beneficial, or is it simply a nice virtue our mothers taught us?  You may recall a similar experience... “What do you say?” Mom gently spurred me on when, as a little child, someone gave me a gift. Of course, “Thank you!” was always the proper response. Is expressing thanks an appropriate response... Continue Reading →

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑