LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

(Issue 130) I wrote a few months ago about mediating conflict between employees. What happens after you hold that challenging conversation? We want to believe things will be fine now that the air is cleared, but agreements to new behaviors can be fragile. When you say to your employees, “I’m going to be checking back in with you (at a specified time) to follow up on the agreements we made today,” and then you do check back, you increase accountability.

(Issue 129) “I’m so proud of you.” This is easy to say to someone else when they have reached a goal, accomplished something they set out to do, or overcome a difficult challenge. That is why I’m going to be proud of you at the end of this article if you can say to yourself, “I’m proud of myself.” How do you lead with a sense of pride, and why does it matter that you do?

(Issue 128) Wisconsin rural hospital CEO and CFO rock stars inspired possibility thinking with a group of emerging leaders recently, demonstrating that striving for the C-suite might not be an unreachable-or undesirable-goal after all. We may sense “distance” between ourselves and those at higher levels of position or success, but we’re all just people under our name tags. These senior leaders shared their extraordinarily human leadership journeys and the habits that keep their head above tur...

(Issue 127) The crisis is here and now: there are not enough lab techs, pharmacy techs, or certified nursing/medical assistants. These, and many other entry-level positions in healthcare are remaining open for months without any applicants in some cases. But even if you currently have all positions filled and your employees adore you, leading a team with these positions offers unique challenges.

(Issue 126) Promotions and job changes often come when we are at the top of our game. We feel confident and ready to show what we can do. The honeymoon phase of being selected though, whether it’s an internal promotion or a move to a new organization or position, can be quickly followed by a crash when we run into the learning curve. Here are some suggestions for navigating the steep road when it feels like you are back at square one.

(Issue 125) We’re still on a learning curve of live-to-virtual meetings. Does your leadership competence and warmth transfer virtually to engage your audience? Try these tips to ensure that it does and to reduce your virtual participants’ temptation to check out.

(Issue 124) Managers often tell me that addressing conflict is the worst part of the job, especially when new in the role.

(Issue 123) Not contraband; this newsletter. On the afternoon of Wednesday, January 6th, 2021, when I had set aside time to write this month’s piece, it became one of those etched-out moments in life, “Where were you when riots broke out and the nation’s capital was overtaken?” It was impossible to turn away from the news to concentrate on writing.