Leadership Love from LinkedIn

How many of your direct reports will retire from your company?

I’m guessing not many, if any.

Despite this, I’ve always done my level best to invest in the leadership capabilities of my people.

I did so knowing full well that they would—and should—choose to move on someday...

A glint of light caught my eye as I made my way through the Whole Foods parking lot.

My mission to acquire Omega-3 eggs and oat milk was interrupted by the sight of a flattened plastic water bottle.

I plucked the debris off the ground and deposited it into a nearby recycling bin.

I never miss an...

As I drove through my hometown, I felt like a stranger in a strange land.

I marveled at the sparkling new office complexes, restaurants, and stores.

The footprint of the Midwestern city swelled as it swallowed up farmland in a relentless urban sprawl.

So much had changed that my childhood...

Have you ever felt that something was missing in your work?

After the initial shock of shifting to fully remote work last March, I began to settle into a routine—and not in a good way.

I still loved my company and my people, but my leadership felt “hollow”.

I felt like I was...

I often see a dangerous gap between leadership and employees further down in an organization.

Leaders tell me they want their employees to demonstrate more ACCOUNTABILITY.

Employees tell me they want their leaders to give them more AUTONOMY.

Why the chasm between these two perspectives?

...

Emerging and experienced leaders can learn a great deal from one another.

I’ve been having amazing conversations with rockstars from the newest generational cohort to enter the workplace—Generation Z.

They’ve emphasized how important it is for senior leaders to create what I...

I’m at my best when my preparation keeps pace with my motivation.

This means that I try to adhere to the adage:

Plan your day the day before, and plan your week the week before.

To get ready for a Monday morning, I execute my Sunday night routine.

I review my:

Fitness plan: When will I...

Each day at recess, I would sit under the jungle gym and cry.

I was a painfully shy kid, and this went on for several days.

One day, a tall boy named Dave walked up to me and asked, “Hey, want to play?”

That recess, we ran around and got grass stains on our jeans.
In middle school, we...

Tall fences may make good neighbors but they make lousy peer leaders.

I often see one prevailing source of friction, conflict, and counterproductivity between any pair of leaders at the same level:

A lack of mutual awareness.

When operating alongside a peer leader, there are three areas where...

In order to lead, you must first learn to be led.

As I’ve developed into an authentic people leader, I’ve always tried to be an effective follower.

Followership isn’t about mindlessly executing the boss’ orders.

It requires you to deeply understand what military planners...

Navigating a U.S. Navy ship at chow time is an exercise in spatial awareness.

While I was aboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge:

The deck with blue tiles was “Office Country”—no enlisted allowed
A gangway could be closed at any time for cleaning
Long lines snaked through the ship...

When it comes to getting promoted, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

If you’re not currently executing a deliberate and specific promotion plan, it doesn’t mean you’re relegated to your current station forever.

Here’s how to take a proactive promotion...