by Michael Holland Luckily for most maturing leaders, there aren’t cameras rolling and a national audience of 16 million people watching as they make critical mistakes. The NFL “replacement referees” have been trained in their craft but have been working as referees in less intense, less demanding levels than the NFL. It would seem [...]
by Michael Holland Managers sometimes wonder what motivates my employees? What satisfies them? What will make the biggest difference to an employee? Leaders at all levels often make the mistake of assuming that all employees are motivated by the same thing – a new assignment, recognition, a promotion. But what motivates a person is likely [...]
by Michael Holland By and large, most people want to work hard and feel good about the work they are performing. Leaders are paid to guide and motivate employees. Create the environment and atmosphere to make sure employees have the opportunity to feel motivated. Your mood is the big stick that stirs the pot of [...]
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; [...]
