Author: Dr. Dana

Get on the balcony…good leadership requires it!

Get on the balcony…good leadership requires it!

Posted by | Mar 25, 2019 | , , , |

Are you someone who prefers to be on the dance floor, or in the balcony? The concept of ‘getting off the dance floor and onto the balcony’ is one that resonates with many people who are looking to build their leadership skills. However, little guidance is given about how to get onto the balcony. This post will offer some activities to practice the skill. And, if this concept of dance floor and balconies are entirely new to you, read on! Dance floor versus on the balcony In Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading, the...

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Authentic leadership: Are you doing it wrong?

Authentic leadership: Are you doing it wrong?

Posted by | Mar 18, 2019 | , |

If you use the phrase, “That’s just the way I am!” and call it authentic leadership …then you’re doing it wrong. In our last post, I talked about leadership style. I posed the question of whether you can pick a leadership style. Or whether it is innately something you have. In answering that question, I made the point that some situations, some tasks, and most employees may need different things from you as a leader. And, as a result, you may need to lead differently based on those variables. What I was describing is situational leadership. This concept of...

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Do you pick your leadership style, or does it pick you?

Do you pick your leadership style, or does it pick you?

Posted by | Mar 5, 2019 | , , |

At some point in your career, you will be asked the interview question, “What is your leadership style?” Some struggle to put their leadership philosophy into words. Others google ‘leadership style’ and pick the one that sounds like the best answer. So, it comes back to the age old question of whether leaders are born, or are they made? Let’s explore whether you can pick your leadership style, or if you’re born with one. What is leadership style anyway? It has been said that there are as many leadership styles as there are leaders. And, if you’ve ever dipped...

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Are you making the biggest first time manager mistake?

Are you making the biggest first time manager mistake?

Posted by | Feb 25, 2019 | , , |

Many emotions come with becoming a new manager. Excited that you got the job. A little anxious whether you’re actually qualified to do the job. Happy about the small bump in pay. Worried about the new workload of your old duties plus your new duties…and that is the biggest first time manager mistake. Not letting go of your old responsibilities. Let’s talk about why this happens and what to do about it. Reasons first time managers don’t let go of old responsibilities I’m not here to judge if you have found yourself unable to let go of your old...

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Government shutdown as a psychological contract breach: What’s a manager to do?

Government shutdown as a psychological contract breach: What’s a manager to do?

Posted by | Jan 14, 2019 | , , |

Easily one of the top 5 reasons why people choose to work for the federal government is job security. And, up until the 2018 partial shutdown of the federal government, this was a pretty true statement. There’s nothing in writing making this promise of job security. It is just an understood benefit of working for the government in return for their acceptance of some of the more challenging aspects of the political environment. In short, it’s a psychological contract. As a workforce who values job security begins to see the cracks in the veneer, they are beginning to see...

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