Clarity ➡ Confidence ➡ Credibility Essential Skills and Coaching for Frontline Managers What's Inside What coaching actually is (and what it isn't) What shifts when managers finally get real support Who this is really for — and a quiet question worth sitting with A teaser on something new I'm building Trivia Challenge What percentage of managers report receiving no formal leadership training when first promoted? A) 28% B) 42% C) Nearly 60% D) 71% (Scroll down for the answer) So What Does...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Clarity ➡ Confidence ➡ Credibility Essential Skills and Coaching for Frontline Managers What's Inside The optimist and the pessimist on your team This week's resource Quote of the week Your Turn Trivia Challenge According to studies, what percentage of employees possess high levels of optimism? (Scroll down for the answer) The Optimist and the Pessimist Walk Into Your Team Meeting 1 Problem: You've got both on your team, the one who sees every idea as a home run and the one who sees every...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Clarity ➡ Confidence ➡ Credibility Essential Skills and Coaching for Frontline Managers Hi Reader, What's Inside Slow down, you're moving too fast This week's resource Quote of the week Your Turn Trivia Challenge In 2011, which coffee company claimed it was the first business to launch a mobile payment platform? (Scroll down for the answer) Slow Down You're Moving Too Fast 1 Problem: You stepped into management with big plans, a long to-do list, and the best intentions. Nobody told you that...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Leadership in Practice A weekly note on clarity, confidence, and credible leadership Reader, Communication Is the Whole Ballgame Communication is the cornerstone of good management. Not just important — it really is the entire ballgame. There are nine core skills every frontline manager should master. Communication. Decision-making. Negotiation. Delegation. Emotional intelligence. Coaching. Critical thinking. Conflict resolution. And influencing through change. Every single one of them has a...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Leadership in Practice A weekly note on clarity, confidence, and credible leadership Reader, Should I stay or go back to an Individual Contributor role? The practice of management — part 3 In the last two posts, we talked about what really happens after a promotion, and why some managers make it while others don't. Today we're asking the question most managers are afraid to say out loud. So you made it. You're managing your own team — the same people you had lunch with every day. (Okay,...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Leadership in Practice A weekly note on clarity, confidence, and credible leadership Reader, Why some managers succeed and some struggle Why do some people step into a manager's role and hit the ground running, while others are frustrated, stressed, and overwhelmed within months? It's not random. And it's usually not about intelligence or work ethic. I want you to hold a question in the back of your mind as you read this: Did you ever blame yourself for a failure in a leadership role — when...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Leadership in Practice A weekly note on clarity, confidence, and credible leadership Reader, You Got Promoted. Is It All You Thought It'd Be? You worked hard. You were the go-to person on your team. You knew the work better than anyone, and your results showed it. Then one day, leadership pulled you aside and said the words you'd been waiting to hear. You got promoted. Congratulations. You're a manager now. So why, a few months in, does it feel nothing like you imagined? I spend a lot of time...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Leadership in Practice A weekly note on clarity, confidence, and credible leadership In this issue: Your team isn't tuning you out. They're lost. The body signals it before they can say it. You're probably missing three specific signs. Virtual calls make it harder. Here's what to watch for. Reader, You Typed It. But Did They Read It? You spent 10 minutes writing that email. They spent 10 seconds reading it. Maybe. Written communication feels like the easy version of communication. You have...
2 months ago • 5 min read
Leadership in Practice A weekly note on clarity, confidence, and credible leadership Reader, The Body Doesn't Lie: How to Read Disconnection Before It's Too Late Picture This Your team meeting just wrapped. You covered the new process, answered a few questions, and felt pretty good about how it went. Three people were nodding the whole time. One person asked a solid question at the end. You walk out thinking: they got it. Two days later, the rollout is a mess. Half the team is doing it wrong....
2 months ago • 7 min read