Preston Leadership Blog tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1730502 2012-01-29T17:40:46-05:00 Innovative and useful ideas and discussions on leading edge leadership. TypePad Open Mouth, Insert Foot tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d883301630059a3dc970d 2012-01-29T17:40:46-05:00 2012-01-29T17:41:55-05:00 Who hasn't put his foot in his mouth? I know I have. This week a nice little reminder of the gravity of the situation at RIM came across my desk and I had to pass it along: RIM’s Heins Quickly Lodges Foot in Mouth New CEO drops a quote that will live in infamy Jan 23, 2012, 1:38 pm EST... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2012/01/open-mouth-insert-foot.html Just Say "No" to Loud Restaurants with Open Desks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d88330153935b929b970b 2011-11-21T09:05:16-05:00 2011-11-21T09:05:16-05:00 Last Tuesday I scheduled two appointments far apart and at either end of the day, meaning I would be wasting a lot of time driving back and forth. So, at 9pm the night before I searched for a Starbucks or Panera Bread where I could spend about 4 hours between meetings. Even if I could avoid the unnecessary driving, the... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2011/11/just-say-no-to-loud-restaurants-with-open-desks.html Manage Up or Be Disappointed tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d88330154341e0338970c 2011-07-30T11:36:39-04:00 2011-07-30T11:36:39-04:00 The very idea of managing one’s boss (“managing up”) is quickly coming back into the mainstream. Subordinates the world over raise their eyebrows when we suggest that it’s not only OK to manage your boss, it’s something you really must do. The late Peter Drucker wrote about it in 1999, typically pushing the envelope in his time. Those who admire... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2011/07/manage-up-or-be-disappointed.html You and Your Boss tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d8833015432a6eeae970c 2011-05-30T16:26:36-04:00 2011-05-30T16:26:36-04:00 I read a great blog post by Linda Hill and Ken Lineback in Harvard Business Review called “In Pursuit of a Better Boss”. I liked their emphasis on accountability. In my experience, many “bad bosses” are parties to a dysfunctional relationship; and one that can be fixed if both sides are willing to work at it. It won’t surprise anyone... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2011/05/you-and-your-boss.html Ideas on Maintaining Momentum tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d883301538e322b08970b 2011-04-29T08:34:13-04:00 2011-04-29T08:34:13-04:00 In my monthly newsletter for April 2011 I wrote about the value of momentum. A lot of people chimed in to say they couldn’t agree more. But what we all lacked were suggestions on how to maintain momentum and how to incentivize others to do the same. So here goes: Establish periodic goals that not only reward but point out... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2011/04/ideas-on-maintaining-momentum.html What Did You Learn From Your First Boss? tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d8833014e6045a2f6970c 2011-03-30T19:48:30-04:00 2011-05-30T15:46:57-04:00 What did you learn from your first boss? Did you learn lessons and examples that still inform your leadership style today? Or did you learn “what not to do”? We can’t help but learn from every boss we have. Often times these lessons and examples last a lifetime. If your boss is successful, you’d be wise to figure out what... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2011/03/what-did-you-learn-from-your-first-boss-did-you-learn-lessons-and-examples-that-still-inform-your-leadership-style-today-o.html Which Role Do You Play? tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d88330147e219be80970b 2011-01-29T12:11:39-05:00 2011-01-29T12:11:39-05:00 As we go about our busy lives, demands on our time and attention pull us in many different directions. We switch back and forth between various roles: executive, father, team member, coach, brother, colleague, etc. It happens continuously. In the 90’s, my afternoon commute served as a transition period between my professional and personal lives. It wasn’t always easy, but... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2011/01/which-role-do-you-play.html Do You Have a “Tell”? tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d8833013489a0d821970c 2010-11-30T13:40:05-05:00 2010-11-30T13:40:05-05:00 Good Poker players learn to spot other players' "tells", those (mostly) subconscious signals that we send out when we have a good or bad hand. Looking around the table in a certain way, fumbling with chips, and sighing are examples of common "tells". Learning to eliminate one's "tells" is an important skill in Poker and other games that require a... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2010/11/do-you-have-a-tell.html Again tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d88330133f59d0899970b 2010-11-05T14:10:25-04:00 2010-11-05T14:10:25-04:00 The English language is full of traps, making it one of the harder languages to learn. Words have two or even three meanings and depending upon their inflection or placement in a sentence, their meaning can be dramatically different. This is one reason e-mail is a challenging medium and why we have created emoticons to help get our true sentiment... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2010/11/again.html The Feedback Generations tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e554e40f3d88330133f52f187b970b 2010-10-19T07:50:01-04:00 2010-10-19T07:50:02-04:00 "Let me give you some feedback." That simple phrase often sets the stage for some degree of defensiveness. Most of us, without even realizing it, anticipate a need to defend ourselves when we hear those or similar words. The old fight or flight response kicks in - even when there is no physical threat. But some of us handle feedback... Preston Leadership http://prestonleadership.typepad.com/leadingedge/2010/10/the-feedback-generations.html