By Michael Holland - The moment you were first promoted to lead others, you stepped across an enormous chasm. You thought it was a simple small step forward; just a mere couple of inches to the first rung on the ladder up the organization's hierarchy. But in reality you were suddenly one of "them," part [...]
by Michael Holland - Walking up a trail in the Adirondacks with a 50-pound backpack while staring at the majestic scenery creates the prime opportunity to catch your toe on the root in the path and tumble forward. Doing it twice in a matter of 15 minutes… well, that just feels stupid. New leaders – [...]
by Michael Holland - Habits follow a fairly predictable pattern of a cue (or trigger, craving) which enacts a routine to achieve a reward. A habit is the brain’s efficient method of decreasing power consumption. Think about personal habits you perform all the time: brushing your teeth, walking, reading a text message after hearing the [...]
By Michael Holland - We all carry around an invisible piece of leadership luggage. Some stagger under the weight of a huge steamer trunk; some lug an old suitcase, bursting at the seams; others shoulder a backpack, ready for the big hike; still others sling a svelte messenger bag casually over one shoulder. Inside each [...]
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 gain tremendous perspective [...]
by Robin Perry - We are mid-way through the year – it’s time for a mid-year check-in with each of your employees. W hile you’ve been regularly talking with your employees about their job tasks and performance, now it’s time for a different conversation – time to “re-hire” them for the rest of the year. [...]
by Michael Holland - When I was a young manager working in Washington DC, my boss at the time began a certain tradition. Each week, she walked with me from our office, to and around the White House, and back again. This 20-minute or so walk was spent talking about the hows and whats of [...]
By Michael Holland - During a recent coaching session with a leader, he spoke about how tired he was having recently spent his whole weekend to get his employees' performance reviews completed and then delivered the reviews in back-to-back sessions on the Monday and Tuesday right after the weekend. In my mind I thought "what [...]
By Michael Holland Creating rituals and habits in your life enable you to be much more efficient and effective. Many studies and books – The Power of Habit is a great one – delve into the inner workings of our brain and the role it plays in creating habits. The short story is that our [...]
By Michael Holland - When you happen upon a wise leader you’ll notice something very interesting: They ponder. They take a moment to dive into a pool of thought as they consider a decision, a course of action or a way in which to act. The pondering may be just a second or two, or [...]
