Stepping in a Heap Edwin was already shaking his head when he popped onto my screen for our coaching call. “Oh, boy, I really stepped in it,” he said as an opener. I knew Edwin had a sincere drive to do the right thing. When he felt himself off the mark, he suffered. Although he …
A missed promotion Ritu had expected a promotion. Not only did she not get promoted, but a peer, whom Ritu thought a much less effective leader, did get promoted. Ritu complained to her boss, the CEO, Delwin.
Consequences of a hijacking Kimberly lowered her eyes and spoke quietly. “I didn’t like myself very much at that point.” I said nothing. “The minute I got back to my office, I knew I shouldn’t have said what I said. I can’t believe I thought, even for a minute, that Max didn’t have my best …
Leader in denial Chin Sun seemed unable to recognize her own feelings. This was apparent during our coaching when she spoke about her boss, Martina. Managing up was a major goal Chin Sun had for herself through the coaching, so we talked about Martina a lot.
Shrinking your blind spot Martin was disruptive. There was a long history of complaints against him. After the most recent grievance meeting, he was “given” a coach: me. The fact that people were upset with him was something Martin knew the way a reckless driver, seeing chaos in his rearview mirror, wonders how all THAT …
Unheard feedback Martin was described to me as clueless yet gifted. In my mind, he fell in the category of leaders too talented to lose but too troublesome to keep. Because his expertise was unique, Martin had been with the company a long time. Complaints about him stretched back years. Any people reporting to him …
Confrontation anxiety Estifania was thirty days into leading a large division of scientists and doctors. We were discussing her direct reports. In general, she seemed pleased. “Except for Michael,” she said. “He’s already pressuring me to re-organize the division. Ha! I barely know where the bathroom is! As if I’m ready to think about a …
This month’s coaching conversation includes a leader’s story about being buoyed by her team. She and Tom also swap answers to a favorite question of her team’s: “How’re ya coping?”
“She should have known better!” Jodi was a people-centered leader. She based her decision making on her values. Depending on the situation, her values might align with the consumer or the company, with the employee or the corporation. People didn’t view her as inconsistent, rather they experienced her as a weather vane continuously pointing in …
Money and trust Karin used to run an entire department for a state university. She managed hundreds of people and a six-figure budget. Then she transitioned into a senior role in the investment banking world. She found herself working for a boss who wouldn’t let her authorize any expenditure over $100.
