Leadership requires a destination. “If you could choose only one book for me to read on leadership, what would it be?” I was asked this question by a young physician who had recently become the department chair for his medical specialty. He was a bit surprised when I...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 59
“Isn’t email terrible? Things so easily get misconstrued.” During a recent email exchange, I thought I had upset my colleague. This was her response after I sent a message apologizing to her. Turns out she was not upset at all and the message I misinterpreted was, in...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 58
“Writing about our culture makes it real.” My colleague made this observation during a recent conversation we were having about our company’s culture. She explained how it gives people the ability to articulate our culture, to label it if you will, in addition to...
Mike’s #BeIntentional –57
“If you aren’t the lead dog the scenery never changes.” It’s easy for some leaders to convince themselves that running a close second is good enough. These are often the same people who “play not to lose” instead of “playing to win.” Being a fast follower…following a...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 56
I have a friend who owns and operates a small company. Each time we get together, he never fails to tell me how fortunate he is to have a great business partner…how aligned they are on strategic matters and in making important operating decisions, how each of their...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 54
“Enough about me. Let’s talk about me.” All too often, leaders focus the majority of attention on themselves instead of the people around them. While this characteristic usually takes the form of dominating conversations, it can also result from concluding that one’s...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 53
Can loyalty and leadership peacefully coexist? Loyalty seems like such a noble trait, but its blind application can lead to so many black or white decisions. Do I support this person or the other? Are my loyalties to the individual or the institution? Loyalty doesn’t...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 52
When Dad passed away, I thought we would have to take care of Mom’s daily affairs. Throughout their 63 years of marriage, she had always been unassuming and allowed Dad to deal with all the family matters. Eighteen months after his death, however, Mom’s command of her...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 51
“All in or not in at all.” Early in my career, this was my approach to getting involved in projects or assignments. If I could not have control, then I put as much distance between the engagement and myself as possible. My rationale was that I did not want recognition...
Mike’s #BeIntentional — 50
A residential painter once told me that the difference between a good painter and a great one was not how well they painted but how effectively they cleaned up their mistakes. This logic applies equally well to leadership. Leaders are going to make mistakes, but it's...