Priscilla Archangel, Ph.D.
6 Strategies for Leading Through a Crisis
I frequently begin my leadership insights with a story, but none is needed today. We all know the story, and the title is COVID-19. It is a pandemic that has impacted virtually every country and continent in the world. The potential for serious illness and loss of life is enough to make all of us quickly change our normal routines, postpone or cancel what we previously thought to be critically important meetings, and stockpile supplies (including more toilet paper than we know what to do with, me included).
As a coach, consultant and speaker, my face-to-face training and coaching sessions have all been postponed or moved to online delivery. And, as the wife of a heart transplant recipient who is on immunosuppressant medications, I have decided to “hunker down” inside my home office for most of the next three weeks to minimize bringing germs inside. Continue reading
Camaros and Butterflies: Transforming Your Leadership (Part 1)
Jeb came home exhausted at the end of the work week. But it wasn’t just this week. He felt the same way every week. Regarded as one of the smartest leaders in the organization, Jeb was working hard on several major projects which would bring tremendous revenue to his business unit, and he was on the short list for promotion to vice president within the next two years at his company. This was the big leap he had been waiting for. But somehow, the leadership approach Jeb used during the first 20 years of his career wasn’t working like it had in the past. Three months into a new assignment, he was beginning to experience greater difficulty in motivating and aligning his team’s individual interests with corporate goals, getting them to bring new ideas forward, and collaborating with peers in other business units. Left unaddressed, his results would be negatively impacted. So Jeb knew he needed to change his approach to leadership quickly, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Continue reading
LeaderVantage: Seven Fundamentals to Transform Your Leadership
Kevin crouched near the edge of the cliff, 2,000 feet above the valley floor. Still slightly out of breath from the last leg of his climb, he surveyed the vast forest below him, the denseness of the trees, a lower summit off to the right, and a river running through it along the highway far below. From this vantage point he could see miles and miles of largely undisturbed woods and rugged terrain. It was beautiful yet overwhelming to take it all in.
He was reminded of why he decided to hike to this peak in the first place; the need to find solitude and think about the overwhelming amount of information he was managing as CEO of his company. Strategic decisions needed to be made about the coming fiscal year, and while he had a capable team, they tended to focus on their individual piece of the organization.
Kevin felt accountable for integrating it all into a comprehensive plan. As the leader, he had the vantage point of seeing the implications of everything in ways that others didn’t. But he was beginning to think more about that responsibility. How can he effectively use his vantage point to be a better leader, and to get better results with his team? What fundamentals did he need to think about to make a positive impact on the business? Continue reading
Creating a Nourishing Environment
Think of a work environment where you feel valued:
where you’re able to be your best, most creative self;
where you can use your strengths;
where your input is solicited;
where you jump out of bed in the morning looking forward to beginning your day;
where you’re able to collaborate with others to solve problems;
where you gain energy;
where you see the value in others’ contributions. Continue reading
Developing Your Authentic Presence
How do you display a professional presence that reflects your authentic self?
This is a conversation I’ve been engaged in with multiple leaders over the past month. These are individuals trying to move their careers forward and balance their own desires and interests with the expectations of others in their environment around appearance, style, communications and behaviors.
In recent years, trends have moved from organizations being very prescriptive about the appearance and behaviors of their employees, to understanding the need to be open to more variety. This shift is focused in part on the recognition that employees want greater ability to bring their “whole self” to work, and the risk of losing talented individuals who can contribute to improved results.
So, what is authentic presence? Continue reading
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