Here’s one more “mental sorbet” post – a sampler of interesting reads on leadership, listening and change to refresh your brain. Here’s an oldie, but a goodie, recently brought to my attention in a post by Canadian leadership blogger Tanveer Naseer. He cited the controversial Joshua Klein TED Talk on the adaptive power of crows […]

We interrupt this series on marrying speed and depth to bring you some more “mental sorbet.” If you’re looking for some reading, check out these bite-sized posts from the last couple of weeks.

I’ve worked with very few leaders over the past three years who aren’t ramped up, stressed out, and working hard to hold things together between work and life. They are trying to slice through email, texts, instant messages, and all of the other updates that come their way. They talk about the need to create […]

“Leadership: Disrupting your own people at a rate they can stand, for a purpose.” – Alexander Grashow When was the last time you got to watch someone else do your job? To take a break from your role and learn from watching someone else – ferociously talented – do it? This week, I did.

I know a group of leaders who for years had identified something important they wanted and needed to learn. For them it wasn’t an easy something, it was a very, very hard something. They struggled and they suffered and they broke promises to themselves and others, and they called their team dysfunctional because of their struggle. […]

OK, do read this. But then share it with your team. “Help me” conversations A few years ago, my buddies and I at On Your Feet sent a New Year’s gift out to everyone we felt – in one way or other, directly or indirectly – had helped us over the 365 days prior. The […]

Leo Babauta suggests you can embed one new habit in 30 focused days. But if you’re a leader taking on adaptive change, start with the big money.

Here’s a familiar puzzle, but with a surprising answer – an answer that points toward an essential ingredient essential, often overlooked, for launching a change effort. You probably know the instructions. Not long ago, we flashed them on the screen at a conference of leaders charged with leading a game-changing shift in how their company […]

Q: Why did so many dance with Matt? I learned about gaining commitment the hard way. (The same way I learn just about everything.) Some years ago, I had an inspiring vision for the work some of my colleagues and I were doing. Well, I was inspired. To communicate this vision, I rented an empty […]

After what seems like a seriously long time – more than a decade – helping leaders lead change, I feel like I’m just breaking the surface of the water. And in my 3-month-old job as doctoral student (which already seems seriously long to those around me; last night, I overheard my partner say, “yeah, Julie’s […]