Lead your leader: Managing up

Lead your leader: Managing up

Bosses come in all shapes, sizes and types. Knowing how to manage up, influence and collaborate with Boss A does not guarantee you’ll get good results with Boss B. Yet there are some general principles that apply to everyone, like getting to know your...
What if you’re wrong…or right?

What if you’re wrong…or right?

You have the most amazing idea, and you’re sure it’s going to revolutionize the organization. But when you present it to the team, people are not enthused. What do you do now? First, and foremost, recognize that you might be wrong. As Kathryn Schulz (a...
Influence without authority?

Influence without authority?

Articles, videos and books espouse the idea that leaders must be able to influence without authority. Maybe this is partially true; the days of “because I told you so” are long gone. However, I agree with Jeffrey Gitomer (despite his continual references...
Three steps to selling anything

Three steps to selling anything

We recently had a fascinating team discussion about business development. Experts say that the vast majority of successful sales conversations involve the buyer talking more than the seller. (No wonder we are turned off by the fast-talking used car salesperson!)...
Use influence to reel in success

Use influence to reel in success

Influence allows you to impact results through your interactions with other people. Although you can’t control the outcome completely, you can increase the probability of achieving the impact you desire by how you network, communicate and find common ground with other...