The Signal Leaders Send
The last two weeks, we examined how a comment, nervous laughter, and the phrase “that’s just the way he is” created a culture that valued harmony over honesty. I was reminded of this situation recently, when after the winter Olympics I watched a public leadership...
“That’s Just the Way He Is”
Last week, I wrote about a lunch moment that produced nervous laughter. When I later apologized to my sponsor for not being more assertive and questioning in the moment, he shrugged. “That’s just the way he is,” he assured me. According to Edgar Schein, the most...
Nervous Laughter: What Leaders Normalize Creates Culture
In the spring of 2017, a former client flattered me by inviting me into his new company to work with their eleven person senior leadership team on culture. “They work well enough together,” he said. “But something’s missing.” We met several times discussing how to...
When Your Phone Starts Thinking for You
Last week I had the opportunity to work with my son Jeffrey on his business. We went door to door meeting potential clients. Some people call that “cold calling”; I call it perseverance. What surprised me wasn’t the rejection. It was what I did in between. Between...
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