Leadership Inspiration

Leadership inspiration doesn’t always come from the conference room or management gurus. Sometimes, the most profound lessons emerge from unexpected places — everyday moments, unconventional figures, or personal experiences.

Take nature, for example. A flock of birds flying in perfect synchrony demonstrates collective leadership. Each bird takes turns leading and following, showcasing the importance of adaptability and shared responsibility. This reminds us that effective leaders empower their teams rather than dominate them.

Who Wants to Network Today?

Younger professionals don’t view networking the same way as older professionals do. The more seasoned you are, the more you “grew up” in an environment of going to events and exchanging business cards.

It’s not so much that Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z hate networking — it’s more about how traditional networking feels outdated or inauthentic to them. Consider the following points:

Daily Contingencies

Do you allow for contingencies? Most people prepare for the obvious ones, but not the more routine ones.

Example: if you live in or travel to the northeastern U.S. during the winter, you always need a contingency plan. A case in point was a recent cross-country flight I took back to New York. I was scheduled early enough in the day that had there been delays, I still had better odds that I’d make it back that day.

Managers Are Accountable Too

Managers often ask how to hold their employees accountable. There isn’t one answer to this question, because one of the biggest variables is your organizational culture. Some cultures support their people when it comes to accountability issues, while others cast blame.

For example, in a blame-oriented culture, if Juan misses an important deadline – even if he had a good reason – his manager will likely fault him for the outcome with no discussion.

Communication Melt Down

One of my clients has a very simple rule, which is to include the senior account executive on any communication relating to his or her accounts. Team members know that this means to copy them on emails and update them on any text or verbal discussions.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Show Them the Love

Tomorrow is THE day of the year to declare personal expressions of affection, but it’s also a great occasion to convey appreciation for our employees, clients, vendors and other service providers – in other words, the people who help us do our best in an increasingly complex business environment.

This doesn’t need to be fancy; a sincere expression of gratitude goes a long way to make others feel good. You can really stand out from the crowd because regrettably, too few people take the time to show their appreciation.

Are You Too Busy to Manage?

Do you ever think that managing people is a side job that interferes with your “real work”? Or do you become impatient because a team member needs help at “inconvenient” times? Or have you ever become irritated because your employees didn’t telepathically understand what you really wanted?

When you answer “yes” to these kinds of questions, you’re probably (a) suffering from too much work, (b) feeling stressed about not fulfilling your goals, or (c) frustrated with the entire idea of managing.

Rising Above Disappointments

We all deal with little victories and disappointments on a regular basis, but every once and a while a biggie happens. It’s easy to celebrate the big victories, but it’s much more challenging to manage big disappointments.

This could be the expectation of receiving an important promotion, a new and better job, or an opportunity to break into a new client relationship. It doesn’t matter what “it” is; if you had your heart set on it and it doesn’t happen, it can feel like a setback.

Consensus vs. WIIFM

Many leaders enjoy practicing leadership by achieving consensus. They are challenged by the actual process of achieving consensus and feel satisfied when the various parties come to agreement.

Consensus is a worthy approach in many situations. The process breaks down when the various stakeholders begin to venture down that well-travelled road, WIIFM, or what’s in it for me.

Do You Need to Unstick?

As much as a new year can inspire a fresh start, sometimes it has the opposite effect. For example, if you took it easy during the holidays and haven’t yet gotten up to speed, even consistent high performers can get complacent.

It’s worth seeing whether such a malaise is affecting any of your people (or you, for that matter), and if it is, you need to help them snap out of it immediately. The longer it drags on, the longer it will take to reverse course.