I like bumper stickers. They’re brief, to the point, and often clever. Here are a few of my favorites along with how they relate to Mutual Learning leadership.
Minds are like parachutes; they function only when open. If you want …
Improving customer service
False Assumptions About Being a Compassionate Leader
Many challenges leaders face in being compassionate stem from their false assumptions about unwanted outcomes. Here are some examples .
If I’m compassionate, they will think I agree with them.
Some leaders worry that if they show someone compassion, that …
Challenges to Being
a Compassionate Leader
Last month’s article was about how to be a compassionate leader. Almost all the challenges that keep you from being a compassionate leader involve judging others. Diane Berke1 writes, “The major block to compassion is the judgment in our minds.” Here …
Jointly Design Next Steps with Your Team
Jointly designing next steps is one of the Ground Rules for Effective Teams. When you jointly design next steps, you make decisions about what to do next by involving others rather than deciding privately and unilaterally. You’re transparent, curious, and …
Genuine Curiosity
If you want to get all the information out on the table so you can make the best decision possible, you need to be genuinely curious. That means asking genuine questions.
Unfortunately, many leaders think they are demonstrating genuine curiosity, …
Are You Undermining Your Goals?
When we worry that people might not support how we plan to achieve our goals, we sometimes keep our plans or the reasons behind them private. When we do this, we undermine our chances of success by creating risks we’re …
Taking Teamwork Seriously
Is your team really accountable to the team? Or is it mostly talk? When it comes to team accountability, many organizations talk about how important it is, but their actions belie their words. Here’s a short quiz to help you …
The Major Missteps at the Beginning of Meetings… And How to Avoid Them
Most meetings get off course as soon as they start. Starting a meeting or simply a conversation is like launching a spacecraft. (No, you’re not on the lookout for aliens.) If you start the meeting just a little off course, …
How to Prepare for a Disagreement
Sometimes you need to have a conversation and you know it’s going to be challenging. You’ve already talked with this person before and the two of you see things very differently. Maybe you want one solution and they want another. …
Dan’s Difficulty: Being a Mutual Learning Leader with Customers
Dan had a problem.
He was responsible for developing a new product for his organization’s largest customer and the relationship had stalled. The problem wasn’t between Dan and the customer; it was that the customer – represented by two individuals …
