by Michael Holland Having the courage to communicate what needs to be communicated can at times appear to be a rare quality in leaders. Leaders are often faced with situations which require thoughtful and delicate communications to make sure they clearly articulate information without harming others in the process. In sensitive employment situations – pending [...]
by Michael Holland New supervisors and managers are so willing to take advice and counsel and are able to quickly adapt to circumstances and learn new ways. Ideally, these young leaders are developing strong core muscles – management and leadership muscles. As all leaders season through life and gain more employees, we carry on with [...]
by Michael Holland From a recent CEO: "We have a lot to do. The most pressing thing I heard from our town hall meetings is the desire to clearly define our vision and strategy. I promise you we will be transparent and plan to articulate this in the coming weeks." What employees hear: “Blah, blah, [...]
by Michael Holland To fully function in your role as a leader, you should focus on the conceptual and human aspects of the position more than the technical. The challenge is that many of us are most comfortable and most experienced in the technical aspects of the job. It’s our comfort zone and it’s hard [...]
by Michael Holland Jesse Owens, the son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, realized his dreams by winning four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. Jesse Owens said “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” Of [...]
by Michael Holland The foundation to all relationships – managers and employees alike - is trust. We build trust through our actions and our behaviors. Are we reliable, dependable, and consistent? Are we true to our word and “talk straight?” Employees want to have confidence in their manager. They want their manager to manage, dealing [...]
by Michael Holland It’s easy, it’s fast, it’s convenient, but sometimes it can create a disaster. Knowing when to hit send and when to talk with someone directly is critical to your success. Some indicators that you need to have a real, live conversation: You’ve replied more than three times to the same person; [...]
by Michael Holland Some managers may find that they are easily focused on the tasks of their team, while others tend to focus more heavily on the people aspects. Ideally, it’s a balance. Remember – people come to work. That requires a manager to effectively manage both the people and the work demands of his team. [...]
by Michael Holland We race through our days - have back-to-back meetings, answer too many e-mails to count and push to meet the deadlines we are faced with. With this pace we need to be reminded to take some time out to think about the best way to work with each of our [...]
by Michael Holland “Take things always by their smooth handle” Thomas Jefferson There is a civil and respectable way to deal with people and situational conflict. Seeking a smooth path, a path of least resistance for all parties involved, can produce greater outcomes. As a leader, you make choices every day regarding how [...]
