The Recovering Leader

Monday’s LeaderTip: Ask The Ethics Question

Strong ethical standards are a key ingredient of great leadership.  Yet too often the question of whether or not we are doing the right thing goes unasked, particularly during the daily tumult of competition, adaptation, and negotiation.  Make it a practice to ask yourself and your people the often-forgotten question: is this the right thing to do?  The answer is what you know in your gut to be true.  Standing by your ethics may mean taking an unpopular position—do so, and you can inspire your people and others you serve to be part of something great.

David Peck

Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my new book:  Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click on the image of the book at the top of this blog for more information.

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Monday LeaderTips are posted here and emailed every Sunday evening to  leaders and professionals worldwide.  For a free anonymous subscription, send a blank email here.  LeaderTips are also carried, from time to time, on Business Week Online.

Monday’s LeaderTip: Develop a “Stop Standard”

Many leaders make good choices about investing in new projects and ideas.  Yet it’s also critical to set up a measurement, preferably from the start, for when to stop investing resources in something.  Lacking such a “stop standard,” you are influenced mainly by opinions and hopes—and your own stake in the game—which can lead to avoidable cost and frustration.  Take some time this week to consider your key initiatives—do you have measurable end points for both positive and negative outcomes?  Having a well-defined trigger that tells you when enough is enough, and acting accordingly (however difficult it may be to “let go,”) is essential for decisive leadership.

David Peck

Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my new book:  Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click on the image of the book at the top of this blog for more information.

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Monday LeaderTips are posted here and emailed every Sunday evening to  leaders and professionals worldwide.  For a free anonymous subscription, send a blank email here.  LeaderTips are also carried, from time to time, on Business Week Online.

Monday’s LeaderTip: Combining Responsibility and Authority

Successful delegation requires granting both responsibility and authority. Too often, the two are split—one person or team controls the resources, while another is held accountable for getting the job done. When there's a stumble, a leader's first impulse is to wonder why the two can't work together more effectively. Yet looking in the mirror is a better first move: it's the leader's role to empower his or her people to accomplish the most good in the most elegant manner.  When you delegate responsibility for the outcome—and oversight of the resources—to the same person or team, you create conditions for ingenuity and success.

David Peck

Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my new book:  Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click on the image of the book at the top of this blog for more information.

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Monday LeaderTips are posted here and emailed every Sunday evening to  leaders and professionals worldwide.  For a free anonymous subscription, send a blank email here.  LeaderTips are also carried, from time to time, on Business Week Online.

Monday’s LeaderTip: Responsibility to Rest

Time off is not a luxury, it's a responsibility of leadership. As the weeks click by, it's easy to catch ourselves thinking that a vacation would be an indulgence-that our work is too important to leave. But without taking time to recharge, a leader can lose perspective, and begin to miss critical, often obvious, opportunities. If it's hard to remember your last quality time off, the return on your efforts may be diminishing-perhaps without your awareness. When you take vacation seriously, you're not simply re-connecting with yourself, family, and friends-you can gain a fresh perspective and approach to the work itself. This, in turn, helps you find more dynamic ways to achieve sustainable success for your enterprise.

David Peck

Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my new book:  Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click on the image of the book at the top of this blog for more information.

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Monday LeaderTips are posted here and emailed every Sunday evening to  leaders and professionals worldwide.  For a free anonymous subscription, send a blank email here.  LeaderTips are also carried, from time to time, on Business Week Online.

Monday’s LeaderTip: Choosing Your Best Fit

We do our best work in roles and settings that fit like a favorite set of clothes.  Finding this fit, however, is exceptional, particularly early in a career, when we are likely to make choices that reflect the expectations and influence of others.  And as the years tick by, without realizing it, we often settle for less than the best "fit" unless / until crisis or discomfort triggers some major rethinking.  As a leader, you owe it to yourself and those you lead to be more deliberate than that: you need to choose the setting and role that are the absolute best fit for you.  If you're not there, ask yourself what needs to change—in either yourself, or your role—so you can make your greatest contribution.

David Peck

Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my new book:  Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click on the image of the book at the top of this blog for more information.

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Monday LeaderTips are posted here and emailed every Sunday evening to  leaders and professionals worldwide.  For a free anonymous subscription, send a blank email here.  LeaderTips are also carried, from time to time, on Business Week Online.