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Psychological Safety vs. High Standards: A Misunderstood Dynamic
The term “psychological safety” is often misleading. When managers hear safety, many dismiss it as a soft style that implies…
Leadership
Most of the widely disseminated information on leadership is just plain fluff or borderline useless, disconnected from the reality of what practicing managers and leaders face on a daily basis.
I try to cut through the noise and uncover actionable, proven frameworks that lie further upstream.
104 posts
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Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles: The Multifaceted Nature of Leadership
Henry Mintzberg was one of the first to identify a comprehensive set of managerial roles that captured the reality of…
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Leading Loosely: Leadership in Loosely Coupled Systems
This is part II of a series on loosely coupled systems. Building on Karl Weick's notion of loose…
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Loose Coupling: Rethinking Control in Organizations
Traditional management emphasizes strict control, clear hierarchies, and uniform processes. This approach, rooted in industrial-era thinking, promises efficiency and predictability.…
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Self-Disclosure: A Balancing Act in Leadership
In conventional leadership, competence is about maintaining composure, projecting strength, and exuding confidence. However, truly effective leaders do something more…
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Metaphors of Organization: Beyond the Machine
Effective leadership hinges on the ability to view organizational challenges from multiple perspectives. Gareth Morgan's eight metaphors of…
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Humble Inquiry: How Asking and Situational Humility Create Psychological Safety
Humility and inquiry aren’t usually associated with effective leadership. The traditional view is “loud”: vision, setting goals, and driving…
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Organizational Learning Disabilities: Responding as a Leader
In coaching leaders across industries, I have observed a consistent pattern: highly capable individuals grappling with invisible organizational forces. These…
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Project Aristotle: Implications and Challenges
Project Aristotle was a multi-year research initiative by Google to understand what made teams effective. Some of its findings, psychological…
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Referent Power: The Subtle Tool of Effective Leadership
Traditional authority—titles, commands, and rewards—has lost its edge in the modern workplace. What compels people is trust, respect,…
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Expert Power — How Knowledge Becomes Influence
Expert power, one of six key types of power, allows leaders to shape decisions and influence outcomes through specialized knowledge.…
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Coercive Power: A Double-Edged Sword in Modern Leadership
Understanding different types of power is crucial for effective leadership. Coercive power is a controversial yet sometimes necessary and effective…