Why Executive Coaching? A New Vice President’s Dilemma

Why Executive Coaching? A New Vice President’s Dilemma

Guest article by Dave Bushy

I remember sitting there in September of 1998 at a desk, in a windowed corner office in Atlanta, piled three feet high with file folders and an inbox with hundreds of documents requiring signatures. I had been named vice president of flight operations of Delta Air Lines the night before. Three days before that I had been a line captain, flying B-727’s out of Boston.

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A Survival Guide for Middle Managers (and the Zombie Apocalypse)

Stuck in the Middle With You: A Middle Manager’s Survival Guide

Early in your career, it’s the next rung of the ladder as you climb your way to CEO.

With more experience, it’s likely remembered as a pivotal time in your development as a leader.

Middle management positions have undoubtedly been a tough career milestone for many throughout the decades. These rising leaders are tasked with supervising the execution of the organizational strategy on a day-to-day basis.

Having to translate this strategy into tactical reality is a true leadership challenge, and no one knows the struggles more than those middle managers who are in the hot seat. They are forced to live with one foot on each side of the organizational dynamic, serving as the liaison between the big picture and actually getting things done. Read More…

How Great Leaders Manage Underperforming Teams

How Great Leaders Manage Underperforming Teams

Congratulations! You’ve earned a reputation as a highly effective leader. Now, your organization has thanked you by giving you a challenging new assignment that no one else can seem to figure out.

You’ve been assigned to lead a team that has a track record for underperforming, and it’s your mission to get things turned around.

Some may view this as being punished for a job well done. Others may take this as a true leadership challenge. An opportunity to have real impact on themselves, their team and their organization.

Whether you view it as a positive or negative, however, your job is to make it happen. So where do you start? Here are a few ideas to help design your approach to transforming this team from underperformers to superstars. Read More…

The Power of Pattern Disruption as a Vehicle for Change

pattern disruption change

Every day, billions of people around the world wake up to a daily routine. Take a shower. Get dressed. Grab their favorite double tall latte from Starbucks on their way to work.

Humans are creatures of habit. Some more than others, of course. And while some patterns have positive impact on our lives, like scheduled sleeping times for children and adults, production of manufactured goods and weekly schedules, we also know that NOT following patterned behavior can be just as important. Read More…