by Michael Holland - A foot of snow provided the perfect opportunity to teach my then 16-year-old son how to drive in the snow. He was several months into his learner's permit process and, all things considered, was a fairly good driver. To start off, we found a nice big parking lot. “Floor it towards [...]
by Michael Holland - “I’m a working manager. I just don’t have the time to do all these management things I’m supposed to do” Yes, you are a working manager. And so is every other person out there who is responsible for leading and managing other people. Every foreman, supervisor, team leader, manager, senior manager, [...]
By Michael Holland - My keen financial planning colleagues can speak for hours about the art and science of balancing portfolios. For the rest of us, we know that it's good to have a balanced portfolio whether it's with financial assets, the food we choose to consume over a week, or the selection of adult [...]
by Michael Holland - Rock stars and celebrities often have eccentric requirements for their pre-gig preparation rooms. The famous band Van Halen had a clause in their contract that specifically said they wanted bowls of M&Ms backstage, but that all the brown ones must be removed. Seems ridiculous. But there was a method to lead [...]
By Michael Holland - A few years ago I joined a men’s lacrosse league. I hadn’t played lacrosse in a quite a number of years, but yearned to be back in a competitive game, expending all that stressful energy and feeling the rush of natural adrenaline. To prepare, I went out for a run, just [...]
by Michael Holland – Great people leaders are lifelong learners consuming blog posts, podcasts, articles, videos and books to gain perspective and increase knowledge. Leverage that driving or flying time – or get away from the in-laws time – this holiday with a good book. Here are some favorites from books I read this year. [...]
By Michael Holland - Teams, teams, they are everywhere. Many think that just surviving together through the drudgery of the workweek makes the group a team. Many think that having a moniker – the senior leadership team, the accounts payable team, the special super-secret project team – creates a truly cohesive and functional team. The [...]
by Michael Holland - As a leader, how will you know if you are losing your influence? How will you know if you've "jumped the shark"? From the Urban Dictionary, the phrase "jumped the shark" is defined as: “the moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline [...]
by Michael Holland - There comes a point in time when leaders begin to lead other leaders. They have several people below them who are guiding teams or departments of their own, and they can see the breadth of their empire spread out before them, with all their resources working together to achieve the goals [...]
by Michael Holland - For an employee to perform well, there are seven areas of need that must be met. Knowledge and skill Capacity Clear expectations Defined standards and measures Proper conditions Incentives Feedback When an employee isn’t performing well, we too often assume it’s a “capacity issue,” thus the person just isn’t able. Before [...]
