External Hires May Highlight a People Development Failure

External Interview Candidate

I’ve hired externally many times in my career. In some instances, it was necessary due to excessive growth or the entry-level nature of a role. In other cases, it was because I failed to develop internal team members. When External Hires are Required When I was at an educational institution, we had to grow very [...]

My Great Failure, Part 3: Needing Where I Should be Leading

Businessman Fired, Told to Get Out or Asked for Resignation

The Scenario: An Unrealistic Demand While working for a large, rapidly expanding non-profit, I was tasked with upgrading the organization’s technology. We anticipated doubling in scale over 12 months. Adding to the challenge was an already understaffed technology department, supporting antiquated technology. The task was daunting, but we had an amazing team. My boss, the [...]

My Great Failure, Part 2: Not Trusting My Instincts

Real Estate Price Reduced

The Scenario: A Bad Investment As I write this, I live in a rental home in Michigan. Meanwhile, my home in NY is listed at 25% below what we payed for it 6 years ago. In fact, my wife and I invested much of our savings on improvements to help move the property. Yet, this [...]

My Great Failure, Part 1: Overconfidence & a Humility Lesson

Business Man Tossing Paper Teaches Humility

The Scenario: Overconfident I was hired to deliver a new back office  software suite. Prior to my arrival, the project had struggled to get off the ground, so expectations were high. They placed a lot of hope in me and perceived me as the “hero” outside hire. What was worse, I knew and believed the hype [...]

Don’t Confuse Accountability With Responsibility

Confusing Accountability with Responsibility can Spell Danger!

Danger Will Robinson, Danger! One symptom of a leader caving to her own ego is one who begins to confuse accountability with responsibility. Accountability is when you own the ultimate result – pass or fail. Responsibility is when you are the one to deliver the result. Too often, I’ve seen good managers cave to their [...]

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