Dealing with Abrasive Leadership: Change is Possible!
We have all worked with an abrasive or “toxic” manager, and as an executive coach, I am often helping my clients “deal with” a difficult manager they work for, or working directly with the manager others find abrasive and difficult. I have a love-hate relationship with these situations because I am attracted to the opportunity to show real value and change that will improve people’s lives at work, yet challenged by the difficulty of making a positive impact on a situation others have failed to change.
No, He’s Not Crazy, Mean, or Stupid: Understanding Others’ Difficult Behavior
As part of a large organizational change effort, a IT manager (“John”) was having a lot of trouble working with an external consultant (“Robert”) who was hired to assist with some technical aspects of the change initiative*. The internal manager, who is a senior leader in the organization and had worked there for many years, […]
Hearing the Hardest Feedback
Sometimes the most important feedback is the hardest for us to hear. I have learned a simple way to give difficult feedback to someone who is defensive or resisting. How can you say such a thing! My wife and I have been very happily married for over 25 years but have also had our challenging […]
Michael’s Q+A with Actionable Books
With roughly 12,000 unique visitors each month, Actionable Books is a leadership site that offers tips, advice, and book reviews. They requested a Q+A with Michael about Kurt Lewin, resilient relationships and “heat”. The interview is below…
