Why other people’s emotions might not be about you — and your emotions might not be about them — ‘That’s irrational.’ ‘That’s stupid.’ ‘They’re making things difficult for the sake of it.’ When we encounter emotions and behaviours that don’t make sense to us, it’s often because we don’t have all the information. And in the absence of information, we tend to assume the worst. ‘Emotional generosity’ is the…

The operational tactics that fuel repeatable sales processes have many applications for founders. — Selling the dream is a key part of a founder’s job, whether that means convincing investors to invest, prospects to buy, or candidates to join the company. …

If you’re trying to do too much, here’s a simple solution. — What makes leadership team meetings trickier than they should be? That’s a question I’ve been asking a lot of CEOs, both on my podcast and my coaching programs. Frequent answers include: A lack of alignment over the objective of the meeting A lack of clarity over people’s roles A lack…

Successful strategy sessions tend to follow a common arc. — Most leadership teams come together for at least a few days each year to meet up as a team, align on the business strategy, and collaborate on the company’s biggest challenges. These meetings are often held offsite, as physical distance from day-to-day operations can make it easier to see the…

If you struggle with holding people to account, try this. — Being held to account for our decisions, actions, and results can drive high performance. It helps clarifies our commitments, increases our diligence, and improves our self-awareness. Most of us report to someone. For CEOs, it’s a board of directors. For others, it’s their manager or their coach. …

It’s easier than you might think — One of the hardest parts of the journey from founder to CEO is to let go of the details. It’s as painful as slowly pulling hot wax off their legs (or so I assume — I haven’t waxed my legs recently). However, there is a simple way for CEOs to…

Committing to an action isn’t enough — Here’s the scenario. You’re coaching a colleague in a one-on-one meeting and they commit to an action you both agree needs to happen. Although this is the last step in the ‘GROW’ model of coaching, you have a niggling feeling that they’re not going to follow through. What can you do to increase the chances they follow through? Many people instinctively…

A consult-first approach to empowered decision-making. — There are basically four ways to take a decision: By command — a decision is made by an individual without consultation By consultation — a decision is made by an individual after consulting other group members By consensus — a group decision is made once everyone agrees By counting votes…

Save messaging for what it’s good at. — Lockdown has taught me many things, but there’s one lesson that can’t be overstated. Don’t give nuanced feedback via Slack. Or via SMS. Or WhatsApp. Messaging is awesome for lots of things, but nuanced feedback isn’t one of them. The problem is you have absolutely no idea what’s happening on…