The toughest part of any organization is leading and managing its people.  Leadership is the more strategic, “thinking” part of the job — setting a clear direction, long-term planning, etc.  Management is more about execution — the “doing” part of the job — setting expectations, communicating, coordinating, etc. A manager needs to be a coach, or a “Manacoach” as my colleague Kevin Armstrong calls it. 

Over the years, I have seen several examples of managers who were so good that I believe they could manage almost anything. They just know how to manage people. They don’t need great technical skills in their field because they know if they get the right people in the right seats, the skills will be there.

When I was a kid we’d started counting the moment we saw lightning strike. One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one- BOOM, the thunder would roll through our neighborhood, shaking everything to its foundation.

When I read Gino Wickman and Mark Winter’s most recent book, Rocket Fuel, I thought, “What an apt metaphor for the roles of Visionary and Integrator.”

As Stephan Covey once said, "Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out."

In today's hectic business world, it is easy to get caught up in everything and lose sight of what the priorities really are. Sometimes, the priorities are clear but the execution process is difficult.

Members of healthy leadership teams are engaged, committed, and accountable for achieving the collective results of the organization. When I’m conducting a session with a room full of those people, it’s an energizing, productive and rewarding experience. When even one member of the team isn’t properly engaged, it‘s often a long, painful, unproductive day.

The best parenting advice I ever got was to date my kids. For all the parenting mistakes I made, I took this one to heart and to this day I have strong relationships and open communication with my adult children. The idea is simple. I asked for one hour each week and I’d buy (of course). They pick the place and time, they just have to talk…about anything. Their agenda not mine, I just needed to hear what’s going on. My promise was not to lecture.