By Michael Holland Picture this real life competition with a goal to build the tallest structure that can support a soft, fluffy, lightweight marshmallow using spaghetti, twine and tape within 18 minutes. First, there's a ballroom full of 100 co-workers. They are broken out into random teams of 4 to 5 and are [...]
by Michael Holland - Are you using a spotlight or a floodlight when you review an employee’s performance? A spotlight is directed, tight, and narrow in its focus, able to illuminate specific targets, like an actor on a stage. A floodlight is broad, less discriminating, and wide in dispersing light to see more [...]
by Michael Holland – Great people leaders are lifelong learners consuming blog posts, podcasts, articles, videos and books to gain perspective and increase knowledge. Here are some favorites from books, podcasts, and articles I've consumed this year. Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI Ethan Mollick provides a compelling and practical guide for navigating [...]
By Michael Holland - Your boss is an okay guy but there are so many things about the way he leads that drive you nuts. He's the one who never received the training needed to get a clue on how to lead. He taught you all about leadership through an oft-experienced yet little known methodology called [...]
By Michael Holland - While reading a biography on Albert Einstein by Walter Isaacson, I became very intrigued with how great a man Einstein was even given some of his flaws. Here are 6 ways you can learn to lead like Einstein. Dress the Part Einstein’s iconic ruffled hair and disheveled appearance fit [...]
by Michael Holland - John Maxwell's 11th Irrefutable Law of Leadership (from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You) states that a leader's potential is determined by his inner circle, those closest to him. Basically, your success as a leader, whether you're a CEO or a new [...]
By Michael Holland - Only 1 in 10 people have the necessary traits to be great managers and lead their team to achieve excellence in ways that truly impact company performance. That’s what Gallup finds from their research. That’s not 1 in 10 managers, that’s 1 in 10 people! And are those talented [...]
by Michael Holland - Two friends have recently told you that living a healthier life is very important to them. While at the grocery store, you see both friends checking out with different cashiers. One is buying nachos, French onion dip, a 12-pack of Coke, and a box of pastries. The other friend is [...]
By Michael Holland - Great leaders learn the art of crafting the story in which employees can place themselves. The story has historical underpinnings, heroes, villains, a bit of drama, obstacles to overcome and a goal to be achieved that is just beyond the capabilities of the team but is within reach. Great [...]
By Michael Holland - I think one of the biggest mistakes seemingly well-intentioned organizations make is promoting someone to supervision/management and giving them just a single direct report. The logic seems to be that by giving them a single employee to manage, they can learn how to lead with less risk and more time to get [...]
