The next best thing in leadership? Master the basics!

by Brad KolarLeadershipPosted on Comments are Disabled

A client once asked me to review an article that she wanted to use in a course on managing virtual teams.  The article was from a very well-known magazine.  It provided ten tips for managing virtual teams: Be available Organize regular meetings with both individuals and the whole team Encourage informal conversations Rotate (team members to different locations) Be creative with …

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Help! My metrics/data don’t match my observations and experiences! Now what?

by Brad KolarCritical Thinking, Data-driven decision making, LeadershipPosted on Comments are Disabled

I recently read a quote from Jeff Bezos where he said that when anecdotal data and quantitative data don’t match, usually the quantitative is wrong. I thought that was interesting. However, it’s an issue that many of us deal with on a regular basis. It’s hard to trust cold impersonal numbers when what you see with your …

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Leaning mailboxes and the erosion of expectations

by Brad KolarLeadership, Personal EffectivenessPosted on Comments are Disabled

The other day while walking my dog I noticed a mailbox leaning toward the street. As I continued the walk, I suddenly became aware that about 1/3 of the mailboxes on our route were leaning. We’ve lived in our house for nearly twenty years. I’m pretty sure that when we moved in, most mailboxes stood straight …

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Why is change management such a big deal now?  Perhaps it’s because we’ve lost our ability to lead people

by Brad KolarLeadership, Managing Ambiguity and ChangePosted on Comments are Disabled

Change management is a hot topic in many leadership circles.  Many of my clients have built it into their leadership competency models.  There is a general concern that leaders aren’t equipped to handle change.  There is also overwhelming evidence that this concern is valid.  Many studies have shown that major change initiatives often fail. According …

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Embracing your irrationality will improve your decision-making.

by Brad KolarCritical Thinking, LeadershipPosted on Comments are Disabled

From Daniel Kahneman to Dan Ariely, and many researchers in between, there is a considerable body of evidence proving that people are fundamentally poor decision makers.  We’re irrational.  Very irrational it turns out.  Our decisions are often based on factors well beyond our conscious control. Yet, many leaders vigorously hold on to the belief that …

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Your data-driven decision making problem might be a business acumen problem in disguise

by Brad KolarData-driven decision making, LeadershipPosted on Comments are Disabled

I was once talking with an executive about her frustration over her team’s data-driven decision making skills.  Despite organizational improvements in collecting, analyzing, and reporting data, her leaders’ decisions didn’t seem to improve.  She wasn’t sure what to do next.  In her mind, she was already handing her leaders the answers, “I’m not sure what …

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Perhaps the next big thing is to master the old little things

by Brad KolarLeadershipPosted on Comments are Disabled

Recently, a client asked me to review an article[1] that they wanted to use in their course on managing virtual teams.  The article provided ten tips: Be available Organize regular meetings with both individuals and the whole team Encourage informal conversations Rotate (team members to different locations) Be creative with team bonding Treat time zones …

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