leadership

A good leader asking her team questions Providing Value as a Leader: More Than Just Being the Boss

As a leader, your job is not to be the boss and check on every task, but to provide value to your team, helping them grow, learn to fix things, and make decisions without you. One of the best ways to provide value is by asking questions. Questions clarify expectations, confirm understanding, and build relationships.

Jeff Abshoff's picture
Jeff Abshoff
Team member questioning leader about the project plan How to Question Leadership without Seeming Confrontational

Good leaders sometimes make decisions based on incorrect or incomplete information, and when that happens, we have a professional obligation to encourage them to reconsider. However, correcting them in a confrontational way can be a career-limiting move. Here are four factors to consider when speaking up to leaders.

Payson Hall's picture
Payson Hall
Light bulb hovering over a person's hand 5 Actions to Create a Work Culture Safe for Innovation

People tend to thrive in environments where they feel safe. Company leaders have the opportunity to help engineer a generative culture, where team members feel secure, supported, and trusted to think creatively and innovate. Here are five actions leaders can take to create and nurture healthy working environments.

Owen Gotimer's picture
Owen Gotimer
A great people manager 5 Skills That Make a Great Manager

When it comes to being a great people manager, the tried-and-true methods continue to be the most effective. Listening to employees, leading by example, and focusing on results will set you apart. Read on to learn why these skills—and a couple more—can make all the difference between a good manager and a great manager.

Mukesh Sharma's picture
Mukesh Sharma
A project team bumping fists 6 Ways to Build Strong Relationships on Your Project Team

When you form a new team to tackle a major project, the project's success hinges not just on the technical savvy of the team members, but also—and especially—on how well the team members get along. How everyone communicates and collaborates can make or break your project. Here's how to build strong team relationships.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
Agile servant leader nurturing three small plants To Be a Good Leader, Become a Better Servant

Wanting to serve others—not wanting them to serve you—is one of the best signs of an effective leader. Being a leader is also not about doing more of the work or being the most technical person on your team. Rather, it's actually about giving up some of your work to help others grow. Here's what else good leaders do.

Owen Gotimer's picture
Owen Gotimer
Cute dog wearing a disguise with a fake nose and glasses Beware Confidence Masquerading as Competence

Self-confidence is essential to tackling difficult problems. Where we need to be careful is not being falsely overconfident. What’s behind that overconfidence can either help or hinder your solving issues and achieving a good result. Here's how to make sure that confidence is backed up by competence in your team.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
Game pieces with one leader in the front Advice for New Leaders

One of the more challenging tasks for a new leader is joining a new organization. There is an interesting balance that must be struck in making it clear that there’s a new sheriff in town without being disrespectful or dismissive of your predecessor and the organization they established. Here's how to get it right.

Payson Hall's picture
Payson Hall