How Ego and Pride Derail Leaders
Article Summary: If you think you don’t have a problem with your ego, watch out. That’s when leaders are at the greatest risk of losing
Best Articles
With so many articles and blogs on my site, I know it can be hard to know where to begin. This page compiles the best articles from our top categories to help you discover what calls to you. Enjoy! -Gregg
Browse by Category
Self Leadership
Renewing Yourself Amidst the Chaos
Article Summary: Wise leaders take the time for self-care through a regimen of daily activities, sanctuary, and retreats. The benefits of personal renewal for leaders
The Power of Small Groups—And How to Run Them
There is immense power in small groups. But not just any small group. We mean small groups that meet periodically to support each other at
On Spirituality and Leadership—Leading with Heart and Love
Article Summary: On the relationship between love, spirituality, and leadership—and leading with heart. The first in a three-part series on spirituality and leadership. + +
Why Do You Want to Lead?
Article Summary: Knowing why you want to lead is essential. If your motive to lead is selfish, you’ll fail. Your ego is a leadership toxin.
Why Leaders Can’t Be Loners
Early in my business career, I was a loner. I worked hard and was polite to others, but I never connected with colleagues. I never
Leadership Derailers
Rationalizations that Derail Leadership
“The softest pillow is a clear conscience.” –Narayana Murthy, Co-founder and former CEO, Infosys Our ability to rationalize our behavior is astonishing. And dangerous. Basically,
The Leader’s Worst Enemy: Ego
Of all the leadership traps, none is more fatal than ego. When others around you are whispering how wonderful you are, how fortunate the group
Your Ego Is Not Your Amigo
Why do you want to lead? All too often, the answer has breadcrumbs back to ego. The drivers may be disguised in other terms such
Why Conflict Is Good–And How to Manage It
Most people avoid conflict. But that’s a mistake. Conflict is essential in high-performing teams but must be managed well. Here’s how.
The Problem with Tired Leaders
Are you tired? Stressed? Busy? Just par for the course for today’s leader, right? Wrong. These days, it seems that “busy is the new black.”
What Are Your Leadership Derailers?
Here’s the thing: we all want to be better leaders. But too often we focus on what to do as leaders while neglecting what not to
Ethical Leadership
Courage and Leadership
Courage is essential for great leadership. Without courage, leaders can’t do the things they must do. Courage is the mental and moral strength which helps
The 3 Questions Asked of Every Leader
Legendary football coach Lou Holtz, now retired and in the College Football Hall of Fame, had an uncanny ability to turn losing teams into winners.
The Ethical Challenges Faced by Leaders
“Divorced from ethics, leadership is reduced to management and politics to mere technique.” -James MacGregor Burns We all face ethical challenges and dilemmas, and all
Why Are We Talking about Ethics?
There I was, giving a guest lecture on leadership at a European business school, when I got an intriguing question from a student in the
The Importance of Credibility in Leadership
Credibility: the quality of being worthy of belief and trust Credibility, which flows from character and competence, is one of the most essential aspects of
Ethical Decision-Making: Simple Tests
When it comes to ethical challenges, we are all tested at some point. Leaders are tested most when they are under duress. Many leaders are
Servant Leadership
How Robert Greenleaf Created Servant Leadership
Robert Greenleaf was the founder of the servant-leadership movement. But who was this self-effacing man? Why did Stephen R. Covey say, “… I have found
The Paradoxes of Servant Leadership
Leadership is rife with paradoxes, seemingly self-contradictory statements that may nonetheless be true. We see this in the servant leadership framework as well as other
Bucket Filler or Bucket Dipper?
“Sprinkle joy.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Jack, Bob’s seven year-old grandson and Gregg’s nephew, came home from school recently talking about buckets. In this metaphor, we
The Essential Qualities of Servant Leadership
In the years since Robert Greenleaf first published his essay, “The Servant as Leader,” many notable authors and experts have built upon his work. As
How to Become a Better Servant Leader
Decades ago, Robert Greenleaf articulated one of the most important leadership frameworks in history: “servant leadership.” Greenleaf described the essence of this counterintuitive approach here: “The servant
Leaders, Do You Have Your People’s Backs?
Article Summary: Good leaders tell their people, “I’ve got your back”—and mean it. They make good on that promise. They protect their team, in the
Building Culture
Why Leaders Should Create a Culture of Stewardship
One of the most powerful ideas we discovered in our research for our book, Triple Crown Leadership—including interviewing leaders in 61 organizations in 11 countries—is
The Power of Dialogue for Leaders and Groups
Article Summary: Dialogue is a rarely used but potentially transformative gathering and communication process that can help groups tap into their collective wisdom, realize new
Leadership and Psychological Safety in Teams
The problems in far too many organizations today are legion: Unproductive, boring meetings Astonishing amounts of wasted time Avoidance of sensitive issues Lack of full
CHRO–Become Your Organization’s Chief Culture Officer
Today’s Human Resources (HR) leader has a wonderful opportunity to make an important strategic contribution: Become your organization’s Chief Culture Officer. If your CEO already
How to Change Your Organizational Culture
Most leaders understand that organizational culture is important. But many struggle with how to change and improve their culture. For too many leaders, culture is
The Four Types of People in Any Organization (Beware the Fourth)
I was co-captain of the soccer team and we were flailing. Things weren’t all bad. We had good players—some great—and were doing well in league
Developing People
The Importance of Heart in Leadership
In “triple crown leadership,” our framework for how to build organizations that are excellent, ethical, and enduring, both head and heart are required for exceptional
Ditch Frozen Structures for Tiger Teams
The vast majority of organizations today have a traditional hierarchical structure.* They may be organized by function, division, geography, or some other variable, but they’re
Good Leaders Believe in People–And Show It
Do you believe that most people are basically good, want to do the right thing, and have inherent talents? Good leaders have that mindset. They
How Great Leaders Reward, Recognize, and Celebrate People
“There are two things people want more than sex and money—recognition and praise.” -Mary Kay Ash, founder, Mary Kay Inc. It’s not enough to recruit
Great Leaders Develop People Intentionally
Triple crown leaders—ones who build excellent, ethical, and enduring organizations or teams—focus not just on recruiting great people but also developing them intentionally. They focus
Great Questions Leaders Should Be Asking
Article Summary: Many leaders are too focused on providing answers and not enough on asking great questions. On the benefits of asking questions, plus great
Other
The Art of Giving versus Taking Credit: A Primer
Article Summary: Deciding when to take credit versus give credit for accomplishments is a more complicated issue than many people realize. Generally, it’s best to
Leadership Lessons from The Lord of the Rings
Leaders Venture into the Unknown “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your
How to Create a Shared Purpose, Values, and Vision
Article Summary: Many people these days are cynical about an organization’s purpose, values, and vision because they’re platitudes. But great leaders collaboratively elicit them from
How Good Leaders Drive Execution in Their Organization
Article Summary: Creating an execution-driven organization is essential for leaders. There are specific tasks leaders can do with strategy, people, and operations to align their
Synthesis: A Critical Leadership Skill
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo Da Vinci Leaders today are swamped with information 24/7. The complexity can be overwhelming. Yet leaders are supposed to
Why Leaders Must Protect Mavericks
Tom Cruise’s 2022 reprise of his 1986 hit movie, Top Gun, has been a box office smash. Top Gun: Maverick has Cruise again playing Pete
Steel and Velvet Leadership
In our book, Triple Crown Leadership, based on extensive research and interviews with leaders in 61 outstanding organizations in 11 countries, we identified five advanced
How Good Leaders Handle Factions and Office Politics
Article Summary: Factions and office politics are common in organizations. Good leaders learn to bridge such factions and address the politics to help create unified
The Importance of Judgment in Leadership
Summary: Judgment is an essential leadership quality. We outline why some leaders make bad judgments and how to develop good judgment. +++ Judgment is the
