Empowering Leadership and Music Articles
Each article uses our empower framework that we also use for our leadership coaching services.
Rhythmic observation…Status Reports!
A basic element of any effective management system is “No Surprises”. “Simple but not easy” does not even start to describe this critical part of your Hygiene. In fact, I have used a fairly graphic way of describing it to leaders, probably driven by where I now live. Our street in Virginia has a Rhythm of what are politely called “Bear Interactions”, the largest in our area… and our area has the most in the whole state. So we fairly regularly have a bear walk past our house. In fact recently, we observed not 1… or 2… we had 3… on our deck. They were small, but like surprised leaders, they can pack a wallop….
partners with Rhythm
In the same spirit as 1-1 meetings, nothing is more important than Rhythmic conversations with peers and partners. It is complicated, as for most of your career you are “competing” with them, imagining that only one of you will get the step up. There is truth in that, but also that without good relationships, you will become more and more insulated. To stay with the musical metaphor, without the band, the lead guitarist is flashy… but rarely would be recognized. So who are your “bandmates”, and how do you sort out how to partner with them?
manage Rhythm.. 1-1 Meetings…
One of the first questions I used to ask leaders in our initial Coaching conversation was “How often do you meet with your direct reports?” More often than not, it was met with a few moments of puzzled silence, and then typically “Oh we talk every day!” The HARDEST thing about coaching is not letting your judgment enter into the conversation. But to be honest, I normally sigh, and, as I’m a terrible poker player, that usually takes the conversation into a different place. I have at least learned to back up and ask a better question: “What is your approach to management?”… which helps me deduce the same thing… do they use the Rhythm method?
engaging Rhythm…by Listening
Balance is hard to achieve in any endeavor… until you notice you are getting slightly off-center. When I conceived of this blog, it would be a little music, a little leadership, and a story to make it memorable. These last few weeks, the leadership insights were like many management books, “Be Like Me,” which I find… not helpful. I needed to re-engage to establish a new Rhythm. The backbeat: it is Black History Month, so an African American artist focusing on Rhythm – what I call “Management Hygiene.” … there is only one person…
A renewing Outcome
The summer of 1976 was full of global events, and for me, I had 2 remaining Outcomes to close before heading off to college. First, ironically I had gotten good enough at...
execution Outcomes
High School’s end was rapidly approaching, an Outcome that we had all been working towards for 12ish years. Our class was graduating in a momentous year - 1976 - the...
Outcomes to make you wonder
Wandering through my High School years I played a bit in the political space. It was an interesting use of my ability to speak and think on my feet, and I was on the Student...
observing Outcomes
By my Junior year in High School, I had found at least the beginnings of who I was becoming. Now officially on the Debate Team, I spent the summer at a camp for Debaters at TCU....
Seeing partners Outcomes..
Texas is not friendly to mass transportation. A mix of the frontier mentality, setting out to control your destiny, and then floating in oil, everywhere you go is in a car....
managing Outcomes
First a sincere apology – I managed to write about Healing… 2 weeks back, and lost track. I originally planned (yes, I can plan…) to write about Healing with Cat, but we...
engaging Outcomes
Growing up short, I always had tall friends. Subconsciously, it seemed that I was attracted to them - and also those that were older. Since everyone was, I was not particularly...
A Decision to renew…
As I was reaching the end of Junior High, I started to feel like I wanted to renew my faith by leaving my parent’s church. Not their faith - that was, and is, a lifelong gift I...
executing Playful Decisions…
My 14th birthday came near the end of the 9th grade, as I was about to head into High School. One of the Decisions my parents made was to push me up an entire year… and in Texas...
wonderful Decisions
So who are we… really? If you study Ancestry family trees or watch Finding Your Roots on PBS, you see the family trees that create the web of life around us. The paradox is...
A Decision to observe…
When my father observed that I was interested in photography and actually reasonably good at it, he Decided to buy me my own camera. The Rolliflex was a great piece of equipment...
partner Decisions…
Like everyone, I knew of Einstein, but the assignment was to give a live talk in costume for 10 minutes… and no pressure - it was only half your grade for that semester of 8th...
managing Decisions…
I have written before about my best friend in Junior High and High School being Jewish. It was very clear to both of us that we really did not fit in, and at least I had only to...
Decisions to engage…
Having missed Texas History, normally taught in 7th grade while I was in Florida, I found myself engaged in an advanced World History class taught by a relatively young woman...
What is Efficient renewal?
Listen on iTunes My father was an Industrial Engineer, which he would remind you meant he had to master the hardest parts of ALL of the engineering disciplines. Schooled in...
executing Efficiently
So back to my teen years, and now I was “old enough” to be some help on the farm in Lubbock. Archie - everyone called my Grandfather that - had 200+ acres about 10 miles south...