Category: Leadership
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The Power of Positive Framing
For many of us, there’s a heavy sense of uncertainty hanging in the air right now. Challenges—big and small—seem to pile up, leaving us feeling unsteady. In moments like these, it’s tempting to focus on what’s going wrong or on everything that feels out of our control. This mindset isn’t just personal; it often seeps…
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The Power of Gratitude in Organizations: A Thanksgiving Reflection
Around the world, different traditions emphasize giving thanks—whether it’s the harvest festivals of Southeast Asia, the Autumn Moon Festival in China, or the Ubuntu philosophy in parts of Africa, which centers on interconnectedness and mutual care. Thanksgiving is this week in the United States—a holiday where many of us gather to eat too much, tell…
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Horizontal Leadership: A Gateway to Self-Management
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a bureaucratic organization, trapped by rigid hierarchies, or stifled by an “it’s not my job” culture, you’re not alone. Many of us have experienced the limitations of traditional top-down leadership—where decisions are made far away from the real work, and agility is a far-off dream. But what if I…
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Leading with Love: A Better Path to Leadership
The word “love” in a business context often raises eyebrows. For some, it may feel like an overly soft, inappropriate, or even irrelevant concept in the hard-edged world of corporate leadership. But if we peel back the layers of what love really represents—vulnerability, compassion, empathy, trust—we realize these are the very qualities that define strong,…
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From Boss to Coach: Easing into Self-Management
In traditional, hierarchical organizations, leadership is often synonymous with control—leaders issue directives, make high-level decisions, and manage subordinates. However, in self-managed teams, leadership takes on an entirely new form. For those transitioning from hierarchical organizations to self-managed ones, this shift can feel daunting, even threatening. Many leaders, especially those with long-standing experience in executive roles,…
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Choosing Trust: Seven Practices to Overcome Workplace Politics
In any workplace, the choice between engaging in politics or building trust is ever-present. It’s a choice that can define not just your career but the overall health of the work environment. While workplace politics might seem like an inevitable aspect of professional life, it’s important to recognize that this is not the only option.…
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Working and Growing Together: Advantages of Combining Forces
In a world where individualism and competition often dominate the landscape of work and business, the idea of joining forces with like-minded people to tackle mission-driven challenges may seem counterintuitive. Yet, for those of us committed to addressing societal, economic, environmental, and climate issues, collaboration is not just beneficial—it is essential. By banding together, we…
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The Business Case for Treating People Well
In a recent conversation with a CEO friend, I found myself explaining some of the fundamental principles of self-management. We discussed the benefits of pushing decision-making down to the front lines, using role descriptions instead of rigid job titles, and creating space for continuous learning and reflection. As I laid out these ideas, my friend,…
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Embracing a Self-Management Mindset: Six Principles for Co-Leading
In my upcoming book, Organizing for Impact, I explore what I call the IMPACT mindset—essential principles for thriving in self-managed environments where co-leadership is key. Here’s a brief synopsis of these six principles and how they can be adopted individually to cultivate effective co-leadership: 1. Self-Awareness Over Ignorance Self-awareness involves understanding our own emotions, strengths,…
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Transforming Leadership: From Hierarchies to Self-Managing Organizations
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, traditional hierarchical models are increasingly giving way to more dynamic and flexible structures. Among these, self-managing organizations stand out for their emphasis on autonomy, collaboration, and decentralized decision-making. However, the shift to self-management does not eliminate the need for leadership; instead, it redefines the role of leaders in fundamental…