By Michael Holland I worry at times that the gap which exists between leaders leading well and those who won't is growing wider and deeper. Recently I re-watched the TED Talk "Why Good Leaders Make Us Feel Safe" by Simon Sinek. In the talk, Sinek inspires with stories of how true leaders provide a circle [...]
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 - One of the most irritating comments I hear from leaders at all levels is along the lines of ". . . my team is my family . . . " And when a leader above the rank of director talks this way, I become extremely concerned for the welfare of the [...]
By Michael Holland - It’s a beautiful little house on the lake. With the windows open early in the morning the cool breeze comes off the lake providing a fresh feel to the new day. The small waves lap against the shore and birds can be heard singing in trees. It’s 5:00 am and there’s [...]
by Michael Holland - Walking up a trail in the Adirondacks with a 35-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 - 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 - So much of what we do every day is executed via muscle memory. Walking to a meeting is so simple that we don’t even think about the physics of how our body works. We can unthinkingly create a fluid motion that moves the mass of our weight away from a desk, [...]
By Michael Holland - It's a feeling you get over time: Why am I not as successful as I can be, or think I can be in my role as a leader? Here are 4 signs that you may be leading well at the WRONG company: Bad DNA Match Your leadership DNA isn't a match [...]
By Michael Holland - Your leadership mantra challenge for the rest of 2023 should be Bring Me Problems. We have so often heard the opposite phrase of don't bring me problems, bring me solutions. We are too busy to solve all these problems and we want our employees to stand on their own, figure things out, [...]
by Michael Holland - As we approach mid-way through the calendar year, it’s time for a mid-year check-in with each of your employees. While you’ve been regularly talking with your employees about their job tasks and performance, now it’s time for a different conversation. Schedule an extra meeting with each of your team members. [...]
