“How can I prepare myself to be a leader?” That question, in one form or another, is posed to me often by parents, teens and young adults who view leadership as a worthy or even a noble goal. Jasmine, a 17-year-old high school senior who had distinguished herself in and out of the classroom, recently asked that same question. She was the reminder I needed to finally offer some recommendations. I felt that Jasmine deserved a thoughtful answer so I decided to send her the le

The sixth in a monthly series of 11 posts. Karina has two bosses. Most young managers wouldn’t prefer that, but Karina relishes it. She likes that each of her bosses offers her a different perspective. When Karina encounters a knotty problem, she presents it to Boss #1 or Boss #2 depending on which perspective she values most for that particular problem. Not long ago, one of Karina’s top performers, Damian, announced that his wife, a breast cancer survivor, had suffered

The second in a monthly series of 11 posts presenting my thinking and experience on the topic of coaching. This is going to be personal, because I can’t tell you how to best prepare yourself to deliver value as a coach. You’ll likely figure that out for yourself. So I’m going to talk about myself, and my preparation as a coach, based on this idea: If I disclose my own thinking about me, maybe that will stimulate your clarity about you. Specifically I want to share four di

At this time of year, it’s hard not to think about all the individuals who have had a hand in helping me stay above water throughout my lifetime. I bring to Thanksgiving a long list of “buoys.” I got thinking about what has meant the most to me in those key relationships. What became clear is that the people who have had the biggest impact have affected me mostly by their presence. By “presence,” I mean my connection with them was rooted not in expertise, advice or materi

Last month, I presented five leadership problems that confront today’s parents. I realize that many of my readers are not parents, and would not have found last month’s blog particularly relevant. That won’t happen this month. Virtually everyone has to contend with life outside the home – in workplaces, civic institutions, and enterprises of all kinds. With that in mind, I turn my attention to five of the most serious problems facing leaders of organizations. 1. Leade

For most, major decisions are a fact of life. Impactful life decisions include the following: Do I want to pursue college education or beyond? What major or academic focus makes the most sense for me? What kind of work do I want to do? How will I manage the sometimes competing values of meaningfulness and financial security? Do I want to find a life partner? What’s important to me in a life partner? Beyond love and work, what life pursuits most fascinate me? Do I wa

My clients report that they sometimes make bad hiring decisions for key leadership positions. They tell me their selection processes don’t help them make accurate predictions about who is most likely to work out and who is most likely to fall short. This also frequently happens with potential merger partners. Hiring for a particular competence is easy; finding a leader or partner with maturity and poise who fits your culture presents a higher-magnitude challenge. There’s

A client and his wife (I’ll call them Don and Clare) are going through a divorce. Their three college-age children are fairly independent, but the split-up of their parents likely will disrupt their lives. The table has been set for a fight: There’s an easy-to-detect bitterness between Don and Clare – I have heard it in their tone and language when addressing each other. Each has strong opinions about the other, and Don recently predicted, “The attorneys will be the winner