Last Change

I have changed the address to my Blog, Chris's Musings On Leadership, to make it simple to find. The new address is: My Musings On Leadership. I promise, this is the last change.

I'm Shutten Her Down

I will no longer be blogging here at this address. I have moved to my new address at: Chris's Musings On Leadership. Here, I will have more options to make my blog stand out and "pop." Oh, and I just think it's cool to have my own domain address. Please change your RSS feed to the address above.

See ya there!

Do You Get Along With Your Boss?

We have all worked for both good and bad bosses in our career. I came across some tips to help you get along with the hard-to-get-along-with boss: 

• Keep an Open Mind – Don’t assume your boss has nefarious intentions. It’s possible your manager is simply unaware of the effect of his or her actions.  Go into each encounter with the assumption that they mean well, but are clumsy about interpersonal relations.
•  Connection Campaign – If you can’t connect with a “bad boss”, be sure you have a strong network of connections with co-workers. They can help provide direction, feedback and support on work projects when you aren’t getting that constructive support from your boss.  Be sure your connections stretch across different departments and that way, if things get really bad (your boss can’t – or won’t – change), you’ll have contacts that can help you transition to another department.
• Have “The Talk” – Surprising, as it seems, most managers appreciate honest feedback. So give yours the opportunity to address your concerns about problem behaviors sooner rather than later (when you are so frustrated that you are ready to leave the company). For the best result, choose the right time and setting for this discussion. Don’t try to tackle “the talk” as your boss is dashing to a meeting or heading out the door to their kid’s soccer match, or in a meeting or hallway in front of co-workers. Instead, schedule time on their calendar and pick a neutral location like a quiet conference room away from teammates and higher ups.
• Be Prepared – If things don’t change, it may be time to move on. In fact, in the current economy, whether you work with a stellar boss or a horrible one, you should always be preparing for your next career move.  Don’t wait until you are out the door to lay the groundwork for your next job.  Now is the time to make sure that your LinkedIn profile showcases your latest accomplishments,that you are actively growing your network of connections, and that you are up to date on industry news.

You can read the original post written by Nicole Williams here.  

A Cough Revisited

About 3 years ago I wrote a post on my struggles with a lingering cough I was having. I found out the blood Pressure medicine I was taking was causing the constant. cough. The reason I bring this up now is that for all the posts on leadership, this post is still the most read and commented Blog I have. Should I change my direction from leadership to more personal stories? I really need some feedback here.

There Is No "I" In Team.

I have contracting for a large corporation for three months and saw some nice things while I was there. Great leadership qualities, which was surprising to me, considering the size of the corporation and how long they have been in business.

I constantly heard the word "Team" in conversations and when referring to  us, the individuals. When we got copied on emails, it starts as "Hi Team." When were involved in meetings, I heard "Team" constantly. I never noticed anyone being called out and called by name. If one person does a good job the TEAM got recognition for it. If an individuals needed to improve, it was the Team who needed to improve.

"Team" emphasizes that the responsibility is not left on one individual shoulders, but that the responsibility is shared by the whole team. "Team" de-emphasizes one person's power over the others. "Team" does not  give tasks to one individual, but the tasks are equally distributed among the team members. When an individual is referred to as part of a "Team," his or her feelings and expressions are not discouraged, but rather encouraged. It opens up the opportunity for new ideas and thoughts to flow within the team.

Grace Summit Leadership Group Opportunities

Hello all

I, along with Grace Summit is forming and inviting men to a leadership development group where we sharpen our leadership and coaching skills. We will focus on our leadership roles for vocation, for our families, and in our spiritual communities. 

Meetings will be at 6:30pm on Wednesday's and will consist of a presentation of leadership content with extensive group discussion focused on application. The group leader will model a facilitation/coaching method that we believe will be valuable for participants to transfer to other contexts of life.

Groups will meet every other week for a total of eight sessions. We will only charge $10 per session with two meetings each in July, August, September, and October.

Many of you have witnessed my journey the past year and I would love for you to be a part of it as well. The first session will be July 7th.

If you are interested in joining me you can contact Andre Riedlinger at ariedlinger@gracesummitinc.org or you can go to the Facebook event page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=114075508636427

 and RSVP.

Hey, Look At Me!

One thing that I really hate is seeing leaders who are arrogant enough to feel that they got in a leadership position all on their own. I believe a truly great leader is one who understands that they got there with the help of other people. Whether they were mentors, business associates, or even family members, the person in a leadership role needs to recognize and acknowledge the people who helped him get there.

Artie Davis talks about this more in his blog called, "How did I get here?"