By Michael Holland - Great leaders stand out like an oak tree growing in the desert. You see it, feel it, know it when you're around a great leader. There's an authenticity about them that is so endearing. They are great because they have the capability to be vulnerable and seek as much [...]
By Michael Holland - I've asked the question countless times and more often than not I get the same basic answer. The question: Who in your past has been a great leader, someone you can visualize and model your leadership behavior after? A few moments of staring off into space ensues while they [...]
By Michael Holland - The power of our brain to create and execute habits can be extremely beneficial or detrimental. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between the habit to walk (think about it) and the habit to grab that unhealthy snack every night. The brain simply recognizes something being performed several times [...]
By Michael Holland - I needed to re-set my clock in my not-so-new car and had forgotten which buttons to push in sequence to get the clock flashing and ready for change. Rumbling through my glove box I pulled out the thick, black canvass bag which contained the owner’s manual. Well, actually it [...]
By Michael Holland - While on your way to a meeting, you get word that the meeting is being rescheduled. You now have 45 minutes of found time. Found time is like winning a small lottery. You smile like when you walk outside on the first really nice day of spring. Great leaders [...]
By Michael Holland - There’s the strong, powerful, charismatic, self-absorbed CEO attempting to guide a senior leader forward, or their team forward. After a moment or two of seemingly good leadership technique he finds his natural groove and drops the “S Bomb.” The “do it my way because I said so” command. His [...]
By Michael Holland - Since December 17, 2014 I have been writing a journal entry for each day. Each morning I write about the previous day. Then I get to read what I wrote on the same day each of the previous years in my journal. This habit has helped me to [...]
by Michael Holland The depth and breadth of a well prepared performance review is directly proportional to the amount of information you have on the employee for the whole period of time. Tracking employee progress between reviews is something every leader is doing - well, every leader should be doing. The question is [...]
by Michael Holland - How far can a bungee cord stretch before it will break? I squinted at the 4th bungee cord I was using to hold down a piece of furniture on my trailer. As I stretched and stretched it, I held my breath, hoping it wouldn’t snap. My mind wandered, and [...]
by Michael Holland For too long, HR has been forced into the role of a cleanup crew—picking up the pieces after bad leadership decisions, disengaged employees, and dysfunctional teams. This isn’t what HR was designed for, yet it happens in organizations every day. Think about it: Employees don’t leave companies; they leave bad [...]
