OUR Leadership BLOG

Dr. Paul Metler | 8/31/2015

Recently, I was reading Richard Hallowell’s book Driven to Distraction at Work. In his Introduction, Hallowell refers to comments from Tim Armstrong of AOL regarding his mandate for scheduled “think time.” Frankly, the comments provoked some thinking of my own. First, I scoured my schedule and noticed that I did not have any white space specifically set aside for cerebral exercise. Next, I decided to make a list of benefits. What might I be missing by failing to nail down a few minutes exclusively devoted to thinking? My list of benefits came to mind quickly.
 
Think time will help me realign my identity with what matters most.

Dr. Paul Metler | 8/24/2015

Recently, I was sitting in a restaurant with a group of friends. One of my friends left his reading glasses in his car. When he strained in a desperate attempt to read the menu, I smiled and offered my glasses. Apparently, his desire to save a trip to the car was sufficient motivation to give them a try. My prescription was less precise than he expected. After a little effort, he was able to make out the words and order his meal.

Dr. Fred Johnson | 8/17/2015

“Trust is like a forest.  It takes a long time to grow and can burn down with just a touch of carelessness.” – David Horsager

Dr. Paul Metler | 8/10/2015

Do you have a strong desire to learn?
 
It’s hard to imagine a context in which a leader would respond negatively to such a question. With all the deluge of content aimed at lifelong learning and learning organizations, it seems to be a given. Leaders are supposed to say, “Yes” to learning.

Dr. Fred Johnson | 8/5/2015

New leaders are often faced with unexpected challenges.  There are always tasks that a previous position did not prepare you for, or that the person who filled the role previously did not warn you about.
 
Being a leader is about helping those who you work with, to help make them as productive as possible.  Oftentimes leaders forget that one of their main goals is to make sure everyone else has as much, if not more, success than they have.  This is a challenge – the balance between improving oneself and improving others is difficult to find.

Dr. Paul Metler | 8/3/2015

When parents counsel their children about decision-making, they typically boil it down to three words, “Make good choices.” It’s a pretty good framework for developing decision-making at all levels of life and it sounds infinitely more positive than “Don’t do anything stupid.” However, sometimes it’s easier said than done.

Dr. Fred Johnson | 7/27/2015

At my college commencement ceremony, the speaker reminded us of something – that failure is inevitable.  It happens to everyone.  Everyone has to face it at some point in his or her life.  But eventually, failure is going to become a part of your success.
 
Marti Wronski reminded me and the rest of my graduating class that baseball players are considered great if they can bat .300 for a season or more – that means that they fail seven out of every ten times they are at bat.  Failure is going to happen throughout life, and especially throughout careers.

Dr. Fred Johnson | 7/13/2015

Developing relationships at work may seem like a skill leaders can put on the back burner, but developing relational skills can impact your employees’ productivity and your organization’s culture (and possibly even your boss’s opinion of you).
 
Relational skills are coming to the forefront of modern workplaces.  Patience, trustworthiness, empathy, and reliability are all key relational components to personally develop.  These abilities will impact your relationships both inside and outside of your organization.
 
“Relational skills are the most important abilities in leadership.” – John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leaders Around You

Dr. Paul Metler | 7/7/2015

I was in my mid twenties when I faced my first challenge as an agent of change. I was the architect of a bold new initiative. Perhaps you are imagining a merger of two global enterprises. Not quite. I was charged with a significant internal transition in the office. It was new furniture.
 
The “powers that be” had decreed that old was out and new was in. It was time to transform the space. We were making a change from the old desks to new modular furniture.

Dr. Paul Metler | 6/29/2015

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It’s the tale of two meetings. Collaboration is rewarding. True synergy is exhilarating. A meeting of hearts and minds around a common purpose and a compelling vision is among the best of times for leaders. The other side of the coin is ugly. There’s nothing like an early afternoon meeting that siphons your day while your mind wanders and you nod off to sleep. Some meetings need a funeral and a proper burial. Some meetings can and should find new life with a few strategic moves. Before you kill your next meeting, try these three actions.
 
Stop the runaway train.