Amber, a young professional at a recent workshop, asks… “I spend a lot of my time and energy trying to build my ‘toolkit’, gaining experience and knowledge in as many different areas as possible. I hear many emerging leaders say they sometimes feel like we are stretched an inch deep and a mile wide. Are …

One bad quote can send you scrambling for crisis management Boy, was last week a tough one for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. With his city stung by a 20-inch blizzard, its sixth-worst on record, and massive delays in cleaning up the mess, “Mayor Mike” managed to put his foot in his mouth for …

Branding is not only a marketing term to promote products. It can promote your career. A strong career brand conveys your identity and distinctiveness as a professional or leader. It communicates the value you offer. If you have a weak or wrong brand, you will have a much harder time achieving your career goals and …

I just read an article on BNET, an online resource like the Free Management Library–no disrespect intended to FML, nor am I promoting BNET. I get my inspiration from all over. The article was titled the The 5 Dumbest Management Concepts of All Time. The author says, “These five commonly-held management concepts are responsible for …

We’ve all had successes and even some failures in our career. What can we learn? Here are words of wisdom from experienced leaders I interviewed for a career management presentation at a recent young professional conference. Seven tips to guide your career. 1. Have big enough goals. “Don’t pay any attention to those well-meaning naysayers …

Three Sub-Systems This post is the third in a series on Leading in Complex Human Systems. In my last two posts, we began our review of The Butterfly Model of Human Systems. The Model suggests that larger world of  human systems are composed of three major subsystems: The Face-to-Face System–what happens “in the room,” in …

Wouldn’t it be good to know that every decision you take over the next 12 months will be the right one. This may sound impossible but there is a way to significantly increase the likelihood of your decisions being correct. The secret is understanding. Without understanding we are very likely to make bad or the …

Do you have great ideas but can’t seem to get people to listen? A recent email from a frustrated manager who, like many of us, has great ideas but finds it difficult getting them accepted and implemented. Perhaps a boss is too busy putting out fires to pay attention. Or, in the give and take …

Career transitions bring career challenges as well as career opportunities. Here are some. “I’ve started a new job in a company that’s so different from the one I came from. I feel it might be a mistake.” “I’ve been promoted from supervisor to project manager, and I’m struggling to know what to focus on.” “I’ve …

If you don’t know where you’re going, any place and no place, will do. Make sure your career is not stranded on an island called, “Someday I’ll…” If you want something, don’t just think about it or talk about it. Figure out a way to make it happen. The first step is goal setting. What …