One of my clients suffers from executive delegation syndrome. This occurs when successful leaders can’t get out of their own way by not delegating sufficiently.
As leaders advance professionally, often into executive level functions, they can’t keep doing everything they were doing up until this point. You may have been an account executive, for example, and now you lead a department of 14 accounts executives.
One of the things that helps people make progress is to consciously think about what they know now that they didn’t know last week (month, year, etc.). Incremental knowledge – no matter how small or big it may be – accumulates and adds to your professional development.
Why not ask this question at your weekly team meetings? If you take time to have a quick round robin, you may be pleasantly surprised with what you hear.
Are you suffering from too much work, not enough time, and (heaven forbid) your employees need guidance to do their jobs?
Good news, bad news, the same news: Get used to it.
Famous last words. How many times has someone said that they would get back to you, complete a task, follow up on a lead, or get some information to you. . . and you get old waiting to hear something?
Now, in fairness, there have certainly been times when you’ve not followed up on things, so before you start ranting about everyone else, you might want to look in the mirror.
Many leaders practice 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, but not all, cases. The process breaks down when the various stakeholders begin to venture down that well-travelled road, WIIFM (what’s in it for me).
Do your people have clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations? If they don’t, it’s not just inefficient—it’s a recipe for predictable breakdowns. When people lack clarity about what they’re accountable for and how success is measured, they’re effectively operating in the dark.
Consider these common scenarios
As we edge towards the end of 2025, the annual recurrence of holiday tensions has arrived. December brings year-end deadlines, an abundance of holiday parties, and greater than usual personal commitments.
The result? More stress, more tension, and more anxiety which is creeping into the fabric of many organizations. What to do? Consider these tips to manage through the next few weeks.
You don’t have to look far to notice how quickly conversations can turn sharp these days. From community meetings to workplace Slack channels to everyday interactions, the level of incivility has crept upward. People seem quicker to snap, less patient with differing viewpoints, and more inclined to assume the worst.
The result? A general moodiness and edge that can make even simple exchanges feel heavier than they should.
My friend and colleague, Bob, and I had an interesting conversation over lunch. I was commenting on the scope of some of his professional achievements and learned that one of his most influential drivers was a colleague, Tony, who represented the antithesis of who he wanted to become.
Early in his career, Bob worked closely with Tony, who was the embodiment of making a deal regardless of whether the sale was good for the prospective client. Not only did he not take time to get to know his prospects or understand their needs, but he quite simply didn’t care.
Top performers strive for the next accomplishment, soak up new information, and embrace the opportunity to challenge the status quo. They are eager to learn and stretch their minds.
I enjoy asking what people read, because it reveals interesting insights. Some people eagerly share their latest title; others look at me with a look that says “who cares about that?”