I tell my people all the time, "I operate off information." Indeed I do. I need to know what is happening in my business and with my people. I take bits of information to guide my actions in the present and the future. Information comes to me in several forms - formally and informally through reports and statistics and through what people share with me about the business and their personal lives. Effective leaders desire the same - information about all happenings. The problem is, it's impossible, especially as organizations grow in size. What information do we need then?
Read MoreAre you a leader? If you are, you must know everything you say, indeed, everything you do is watched, analyzed, and emulated. As a leader, your words have weight and meaning as never before. Many leaders overlook this. In so doing they spout words and phrases which confuse, misguide, or even offend. Leaders who understand this, select their words carefully. They contemplate what words and phrases they will use and when and where they will use them.
Read MoreWhat exactly does that job description (JD) you created state? There are several JD formats where companies fill in the blanks of tasks, hours, compensation, and the like. Some even mention in vogue terms such as, "flexible hours," "diversity," or "culture," to attract talent. With a disengaged workforce hovering around 66% (Gallup), and a power shift away from the company to the employee, employers are looking for innovative ways to attract and retain workers. This problem is caused by bad leadership and I could go there but I'll stay on topic.
Read MoreLife calls for leadership. Problems and challenges arise daily, even hourly when a group of people is assembled to accomplish something - in other words a company. Thinking, problem solving, and learning occur constantly as we navigate our days. Through this we all look for leadership. Parents lead their children, teachers lead their students, and managers lead their people in companies and organizations. These leaders must be prepared because problems and challenges arise without warning and when this happens, people look upward toward leadership. Just what is it to be a prepared leader?
Read More"The sky is falling!," so states Chicken Little, a character in a European folktale who, after being hit over the head with an acorn, believes the tragedy to be imminent so he tells all including the king. Chicken Little's fatal flaw is not thinking things through and jumping to conclusions and beliefs devoid of analysis and truth. Moreover, his flaw is casting doubt among others, causing false alarm and squashing motivation. Do you lead a person like this?
Read MoreHave you ever seen a sign like this? Are 'they' really sorry for the inconvenience? Is the inconvenience really necessary? Who is really getting inconvenienced and why? I often wonder. Convenience, according to Oxford Languages, is the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty. It is indeed, what we all desire. To live our lives and conduct our work with order and ease. Unfortunately this is not possible. Life is hard. Work is hard. Leading is hard. Serving customers is hard. When it comes to the interaction of two parties - the leader and the led or a business and a customer, someone is getting inconvenienced.
Read MoreIn the late 1990's when I was an Army Captain I had a brigade commander - Colonel Terry, a leader everyone admired. He was a southern gentlemen and an intelligent, caring officer. We all loved his common sense approach to leadership. He drove a beat up old Jeep which resonated with us junior officers. He enjoyed breaking up the rigidity of our day in meetings telling stories of his youth and relating them to war fighting. He was a leader we did not want to disappoint. Like any leader, he had his likes and dislikes. One of his favorite snack foods was Nutter Butter cookies.
Read More"I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter..." So reads a portion of a military officer's oath. Congressmen and women and senators recite the same oath before taking office. Leaders in private organizations do not, but perhaps they should.
Read MoreHappy New Year! I hope your holiday was restful, peaceful, and wonderful. With the new year upon us many have formed a resolution - a new year's resolution to guide them for at least the next 12 months. In true Rob Campbell Leadership fashion, let's unpack the resolution. To resolve, according to Oxford languages is to decide firmly on a course of action. Many people begin the new year resolved to do better at or begin something they believe will benefit them. Why not? It's a new year - a fresh start; a chance to start over on a better path. Unfortunately few follow through.
Read MoreCuriosity may have killed the cat but it helped the leader and his or her organization immensely. Leaders are more than just curious for curiosity sake. They are resolute or purposeful in their curiosity. Indeed, any worthy employee or teammate displays a level of curiosity - a thirst for wanting to discover more, learn more, solve more, and know more. Curiosity as a trait is a good sign of a future leader.
Read MoreWhat is the founding guidance of your organization? I'm talking about your vision, mission, and or directives or guidance you have issued to your team for a big project. This guidance is important as it informs and even inspires people each day. It provides needed direction and clarity as people navigate the friction of the day. Guidance keeps them on track and true to the founding of an organization or the intent of a project. It should be repeated and revisited, often - daily I submit.
Read MoreMy wife Leslie and I are great entertainers. We always go the extra mile to make our guests feel special with great food, drink, music, decor, service, and atmosphere. We think it through deliberately whether it is a single guest or several. We do this even outside special occasions, forming and fostering healthy and inviting workplace environments for our small businesses. It is hard work but we know no other way. Following special occasions such as holidays, we find ourselves worn out after all this care and attention. It is a good fatigue having served others.
Read MoreIn a coaching session the other day I was presented a familiar problem - the employee who wants to be told what to do, step by step. It is a familiar occurrence in organizations. Frankly, each of us, before we matured as leaders and as employees, were that person. Step by step instructions, a form of micromanagement, take the sweat out of the task. Akin to watching a Youtube video on how to repair a dishwasher, some subordinates might want a demonstration - an instruction manual to provide complete clarity to avoid a mistake. Unfortunately, leaders do not have the time to do this. Moreover, it stifles growth in individuals.
Read MoreI love that quote above. There are indeed, no crowds along the extra mile. Only exceptional people and organizations travel there. I had a wonderful opportunity this week to visit another great company seeking help as it balances rapid growth, service to its clients, and care of its people. We talked a lot about exceptionalism – what makes the company exceptional and what makes its people exceptional. In summary, it's going the extra mile. Companies go the extra mile with their customers and clients making them feel welcome, empathizing with their needs, and communicating with them frequently and professionally. This exceptional performance is reflected in their financial performance but also in places such as Google business reviews. Often, behind 5-Star reviews are exceptional people.
Read MoreSpecified Tasks and Implied Tasks are part of the Military Decision Making Process or MDMP. Most people loathed MDMP. It required considerable effort and time and it always seemed to occur at the worst hour under the worst climate. But it worked. MDMP was designed to solve complex problems. Its steps, if followed correctly, help a military staff develop the best directives for subordinate units and individuals and meet the senior commander's intent. It took discipline as MDMP often resulted in more work for individuals and teams.
Read MoreAs a young officer, stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, we would convoy our HMMWV military vehicles from our base on the Pudget Sound to the high northern desert of Yakima to conduct training. The trip is over 160 miles by road, one way. Yakima terrain and weather are harsh - the perfect conditions to train for war. On a return trip following a training exercise, one of our military vehicles went off the road, rolled a few times and crashed. Fortunately all of the occupants were ok. They had their seat belts fastened which saved the day.
Read More"Hard. Not hopeless." General David Petraeus coined this phrase as he was taking charge of all military forces in Iraq in 2007. The situation in Iraq, at that time, seemed to be spiraling out of control. Combat deaths were at their peak and we were facing a growing and violent insurgency. Petraeus, following a two-year tour leading the Army's Combined Arms Center where he co-authored the Army's manual on counterinsurgency, was promoted to a 4th star and placed in charge of a dire situation. His charter would be to shift the approach of military units from conventional fighting to counterinsurgency. It was a task few thought possible. He summed it up by offering hope and displaying confidence with that phrase.
Read MoreHappy Thanksgiving. Amidst the horrific events of 10/7 and what seems to be a weekly if not daily dose of political divergence I am thankful for quite a bit this year. I'm eager to assemble with family and friends and to celebrate the season with those I love and employ. But what about politics? Should we go there? World affairs and political discussions are sure to be contentious. Instead of rejoicing and admiring and enjoying the holiday turkey, we might set off a powder keg of emotions and anger.
Read MoreI've been thinking about these terms lately, running 3 small businesses. Being labeled an 'operator' in the Army was a compliment. It meant that you had a keen understanding of how units functioned and the ability to run events. Not everyone had the grit, intelligence, and leadership to earn this label. In a military organization, or any organization for that matter, operators are at the center of all activity. They have their hands in everything which makes an event and an organization run.
Read MoreSasha seems to have a crisis a week. There is always some conflict in her life which interferes with her job. Between her ex-husband, her three pets, and what seems to be frequent illnesses which keep her from work, her boss starts to wonder if she will see any productivity out of her at all or if she can rely on her. Sasha is smart, talented, and hard-working when she is functioning but she can get emotional fairly easily. Sasha's boss knows her to be extroverted, very patient, and a conformist or rule-follower.
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