In this post, I explore my Six Ps for High-Impact Technology Leadership: People, Purpose, Process, Protection, Performance, and Play. These guiding principles shape my approach to leadership, ensuring teams are empowered, engaged, and equipped to succeed. From aligning roles with purpose to fostering a culture of experimentation, these dimensions help create an environment where people can thrive and organizations can achieve maximum impact. It’s a framework that not only drives performance but also emphasizes personal growth, innovation, and the importance of having fun at work.
Navigating Different Perspectives: The Power and Impact of Feedback
During a recent senior leadership team meeting, I experienced a moment that underscored the importance of communication, empathy, and the impact of our words. One of my colleagues, who had recently joined the organization, suggested I adopt a different perspective. “You need to think differently” were the exact words of the suggestion. While I value…
Applying the Principles of Sense and Respond Leadership
When I once told a room full of co-executives that I am not a predict-and-control but rather a sense-and-respond leader, they looked at me as if I’d grown another head. It was immediately interpreted as me not wanting to plan but rather be reactive, and they pushed hard to get me to commit to making…
Sense-and-Respond vs Predict-and-Control Leadership
It should be no surprise that I have colleagues on my executive team who prefer a predict-and-control approach to leadership. I’m sure you have them, too. It may, in fact, just be the water you swim in, and you have never managed or been managed any other way. It is not uncommon in conventionally hierarchical…
Flip the PIP: Making a Personal Impact Plan
When you manage somebody who has been underperforming for a while, it becomes one of those hard conversation topics that you end up dancing around in your one-on-ones with them. You hint, you ask, and maybe you are not as direct as you should be in letting them know something seems wrong. You may get…
What To Do If Your Boss is a Swooper
If you are a middle manager, you might ask your higher-ups to come to a meeting with your team to talk about the company’s state or provide a chance for folks to ask questions and get to know them better. It is inspiring and motivating for your people to get some unsolicited praise and recognition…
Leading by Sharing Power
If you are starting or evolving an organization you would like to make more people-positive, you may want to start with how you share power. The concept of power-sharing can be scary for management. It often means managers would need to give up some power to share it with someone else. That is the wrong…
How a Leader’s Mindset Shapes Organizational Impact
As a leader in an organization, your mindset is directly related to your ability to make an impact. You may be hitting the company revenue goals but you have a problem retaining staff. Perhaps you are delivering products that meet the requirements, but customers are still choosing other offerings from competitors. When you are not…
Understanding Your Organization’s Consciousness
If your workplace feels oppressive and dysfunctional to the point where you are ready to disengage, it may help to know that your organization itself has a level of consciousness that is probably limiting your ability to make an impact. This organizational consciousness is an ecosystem of dynamics dictated by its structure, or the rules…
What is Transformative Leadership?
This is a question I get from time to time, and the TLDR is that it is a leadership style focused on supporting people and organizations through a service lens, such that everyone grows and achieves their fullest potential. Transformative leadership thrives in environments that are people-positive and supportive of learning and development for staff….