3 Steps for Taking Your Leadership to the Next Level
Even when you’re at the top, there’s always room to improve. Here are three steps every leader should take to make the new year their best year yet. How am I doing as a leader today? What’ll it take for me to get better? How will I make it happen? These are the questions every leader
HOW SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS LEAD UP, ACROSS, DOWN, AND INWARD
By Jon Lokhorst, CPA Most leadership development focuses on being a good boss to the people who report to you. While leading down is important if you want to be successful, it’s mission-critical that you lead well in all directions. Mission-critical leadership, as I define it in my book by the same title, is “using influence to
Who Was Dorothy Vaughan and What Can You Learn from Her Leadership?
By Jon Lokhorst, CPA, PCC Chances are, you don’t recognize the name Dorothy Vaughan. More likely, you recall the portrayal of Vaughan by the award-winning actress, Octavia Spencer, in the much-lauded 2016 film, Hidden Figures. Although she died in 2008, Vaughan stands out as an exemplary leader for us today. So much so that I featured her
‘Enterprise Thinking’ Is Key to Your Next Promotion
Prioritizing your organization’s success over your own is a necessary step for climbing up the leadership ladder. Are you looking to move up in your organization? Perhaps you aspire to become your firm’s managing partner or your company’s next CEO? While it’s natural to look out for your own best interests or those of your team—thinking this
Take Your Leadership to the Next Level: Lead Well in All Directions
Is it possible for you to be a good boss and, at the same time, underperform as a leader in your organization? That was the dilemma facing Peter,* a coaching client who served as a manager in the financial services industry. Peter had the respect of his functional team, which was known for reliable, consistent performance.
How to Make the Business Case for Change
McKinsey & Company’s research suggests that 70 percent of change efforts fall short of their objectives or fail altogether. That creates a challenge for you as a leader to obtain approval for change initiatives when you are not the ultimate decision-maker. Increase the likelihood of getting approval from your superiors by making a strong business case
Leading Up: 5 Ways to Build This Essential Superpower
“Seriously, I need to lead my boss?” It wasn’t the first time a client asked that question. Although most leadership advice focuses on leading downstream, most leaders lead from somewhere in the middle. Few people get to be at the top of their organization. Even then, most CEOs report to a board of directors or ownership