Jeff McManus's Blog, page 11

Growing Leaders Who Lead

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” ~Harvey S. Firestone

As a leader, growing and developing your front-line leaders is vital to you and your organization. Organizations now require leaders who not only have skills to do the work but bring with them the ability or the desire to learn how to teach the skill, give directions and lead the charge.

And it all begins with communication. Communication is the cornerstone of leadership in just about any indu...

A Time to Remember

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” ~Winston Churchill

As the holiday season envelops us in its warmth and joy, it’s a time for reflection, gratitude, and celebration. I hope you have time to reflect and remember that at the heart of this festive occasion lies a story that transcends time—a tale of hope, love, and compassion that has touched countless lives throughout history.

In a humble setting, amidst the serenity of a starlit night, a miraculous event unfol...

Purpose-Driven Leadership

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” ~John C. Maxwell

When you get around purpose-driven organizations you know it. You remember the best ones for how they make you feel about the company. If you work for them, you know how they make you feel about yourself.

The same is true about the leaders within the company too because they focus on the significance of aligning organizational purpose with strategies, values, and driving meaningful change. It can happen ...

Do You Need Better People at Work?

“The best leaders are insatiable learners. They’re never finished because they’re always learning.” ~Tom Peters

One of the best ideas ever given to me years ago was to take my direct reports, my leaders, away from the workplace for a training session. Little did I realize that those two days would be the foundation for changing our negative toxic culture to one that would lead us to making some incredible hires and eventually allow us to win 5 national championships in the landscape beautific...

The Art of Saying No

“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” ~Tony Blair, former Prime Minister England

Leadership is about making hard decisions, setting boundaries, and prioritizing opportunities based on defined goals and vision. A significant aspect of effective leadership is the ability to judge well, or to develop the art of discernment in decision-making. Discernment is crucial when learning to say “no” to people and projects. This takes skill, discipline, and prac...

Is Leadership a Learnable Skill?

The heat and friction in a leadership position can be staggering, especially when in the process of turning around an organizational culture. There are hard decisions to make that require sound judgement and the ability to be resilient.

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” ~Vince Lombardi

According to The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner leadership is not an inherent trait, but a skill that can be developed...

How to Express Gratitude to our Team

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward

Expressing gratitude for employees is essential for fostering a positive work environment and building a strong team. Finding the time to give the gift of gratitude is a challenge, but well worth the effort.

Here are a few ways we can express gratitude to our people.

Recognition Programs: Establish employee recognition programs that highlight and reward outstanding performance. ...

10 Ways to Gain Respect

Over the years of leading organizations, small businesses, and after numerous employee huddles I have discovered that one verb is critical when defining successful leadership…respect. How a leader treats other people, garnering achievements, solid character, and competency goes a long way in developing the reputation of being a leader worthy of respect.

Merriam-Webster defines respect as “a relation or reference to a particular thing or situation; expressions of high or special regard or defe...

Should the Leaders Always Lead the Meetings?

I knew Hayden was nervous as he stood in front of our entire department; it was his first time leading the Monday morning meeting. Outwardly he held his own, but afterwards he confessed to me that he was nervous. I assured him that being nervous is normal. As leaders we get comfortable being the most powerful person in the room; being the voice that matters. Leading our meetings is expected, but should we always be the one doing it?

As the department head, I stopped leading our weekly departm...

Should the Leaders Alway Lead the Meetings?

I knew Hayden was nervous as he stood in front of our entire department; it was his first time leading the Monday morning meeting. Outwardly he held his own, but afterwards he confessed to me that he was nervous. I assured him that being nervous is normal. As leaders we get comfortable being the most powerful person in the room; being the voice that matters. Leading our meetings is expected, but should we always be the one doing it?

As the department head, I stopped leading our weekly departm...