There is no place to hide from change. However, we can choose how to deal with it. Change moves us into confusion. One way we deal with the discomfort of this stage is to hold onto what we know. In this case we continue to define competency according to what the past required. To move with change we need to redefine competency according to what the new circumstance requires. Gaining new competencies gives us a greater sense of control over our situation. This sense of control bolsters our confid… Continue

Leaders promote disequilibrium, change, and growth. These occur within the context of time. Following are musings on time. I offer them as thought starters.

We have all the time there is. Time is democratic. We all have the same number of seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month, months in a year. What differentiates us is how we choose to use the time we are given.

Want to live a full life? You already are. Each moment of your life is occupied.… Continue

The success of any organization depends upon both good management and good leadership. The question facing managers is, “When am I to lead, and when am I to manage?” Miriam Kragness, Ph.D., author of the Dimensions of Leadership Profile published by Inscape Publishing, offers some guidelines to help managers respond to this dilemma.

According to Kragness, the management model focuses on the command and control functions. These include planning, executing, evaluating, communicating, and m… Continue

To be a leader, someone needs to be following. To know if you are a leader, take this test. Look over your shoulder. If there is no one there, you are not a leader.

You are a leader when others choose to follow you. It is the followers who make you a leader. This requires that you have the ability to induce others to follow your lead, even in the face of changing circumstances and fluctuating needs.

To assume and retain the lead of a group requires flexibility and versatility. Flexibility is t… Continue

A leader moves people to create that which does not yet exist. This requires moving from the known into the unknown. This can be frightening for leader and followers alike. As the pressure mounts, the leader is increasingly tempted to surrender to the fears. A critical trait of leadership is courage.

The first step in developing the courage to lead is to become aware of your fears. Self-knowledge precedes self-management. Only by knowing your fears can you manage your response to them.

What ul… Continue