Try this quick experiment. Place your hand above your head as if you’re going to trace a circle on the ceiling with your index finger. Now, trace an imaginary circle in a clockwise direction. While continuing to trace the circle, …
Improving your skills
Bumper Stickers for Leaders
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 …
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 …
How to Lead with Compassion
You are meeting with several of your direct reports who have just told you that the division’s latest acquisition is not going well. Key leaders of the acquired company are not cooperating and they’re finding that the culture is so …
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, …
Leading from Every Chair
Most leaders still cling to the one-leader-in-a-room approach because we have difficulty imagining a better alternative. We think leadership is based on control, and that prevents us from realizing the benefits of shared leadership.
For example, we think our role …
Are Your Leadership Strategies Working For You or Against You?
Once on an airline flight I sat one row in front of a sales executive and a new manager he had just hired. The executive was giving his new manager advice on how to succeed in the organization. In exquisite …
Escalating Disagreements with Peers
What do you do when you and a peer need to agree on a decision and you can’t? You’ve probably been in this situation. Both you and your peer have strong views on the topic, the stakes are high for …
