doug smith training

Any problem created by a human can be solved by a human. I wrote that long before AI started solving problems for us. Many days it feels like we will soon not even need to solve our own problems at all because AI will do it for us.  Honestly, we know better than that, right? For as long as it's still true, humans can still solve human problems. Let's do that.  -- doug smith  

The best we can do is not yet the best we can do. Improvement is part of everyone's job and leaders must make that abundantly clear. -- doug smith  

  Every problem has at least two players and both must embrace change. If you want to fix a problem, something must change. If you want to achieve a goal, something must change. Every player in every situation must deal with that, whether or not they know it. -- doug smith

If you have to keep it a secret it's not as much in your control as you think it is. Every secret eventually becomes revealed. -- doug smith  

  Leaders not only drive change, they must also respond to change. You can feel how quickly the world is changing. You can tell that leadership is more important than ever before.   What's a leader to do with all of this change? Stay nimble, stay agile, reflect and flex as needed. And, if it helps, rest assured that the basic foundational strengths of leadership still apply. Courage, clarity, creativity, and compassion will serve you as well during change as they always have.  What's your secret to the art of change? Have you shared that with your team? -- doug smith

 Anything held together by force will be forced apart. -- doug smith

How important do you think it is to sustain a positive leadership reputation?  It matters to your team. It matters to any future team that you might be leading. Your reputation tells a story about how you operate, how you facilitate and how you achieve your results.  Leading positive change builds credibility. Making a difference right now builds credibility. Keeping your promises and showing care for others establishes the kind of character that people want to work with and maybe even follow. What positive change are you currently working on? -- doug smith

  In a world where anything can be duplicated, create what cannot be duplicated. -- doug smith

Do you know what it is like to work for an unreasonable boss? When no matter what you do is ever good enough it can become demotivating, even crippling. We do need to challenge our teams, but not to esteem crushing extremes. Unreasonable expectations cause disappointment. High performance? Yes. Perfect performance? Not attainable. -- doug smith  

  It's harder to solve a problem alone when you are at the center of the problem. Get another perspective. Stay open to your own part of the problem. Sometimes, deep into the search, we discover that we could be the cause. Start with reflection. It could provide direction. -- doug smith

There will be offers, heading your way in obvious as well as subtle channels. Strong looking barriers. Refusals to see you. Efforts to take advantage of you.  That's not meant for you, no matter how strong someone else's intentions imply that it is. Decline any opportunity to be a victim. It does not suit you. -- doug smith  

If it does not support you, allow it to strengthen you. -- doug smith  

Obvious solutions are great, except that they seldom work. The chances are that the solution that first occurs to you has already been tried.  Sticky, mysterious, subtle problems evade the obvious. They hide. They mask. They simmer. Mysterious problems seldom surrender to obvious solutions. Dig deeper.  -- doug smith

Are you in charge? Is the team your responsibility? Every team needs more than one leader. The highest leverage strategy a leader can employ is to develop more leaders. Build that mighty team one person at a time. Share the load.  -- doug smith  

Criticism produces more noise than signal. The recipient will hear mostly noise. Find another way to share the relevant information and it will sound more like advice than insult. Here's one other way -- ask the person you want to give advice to what their advice is for improving performance. Listen. Find the tone. Catch the brilliance. Support the useful observations. When we coach positively with enthusiasm our advice lives longer. What do you think? -- doug smith  

Team relationships get complicated. Sorting them out is one more tough leadership task. Recruiting the right people for your team is the first step, followed by keeping the communication on your team clear, open, honest, and respectful. A team of superstars who cannot get along will not make for a successful team. Interpersonal dynamics matter considerably. Team relationships make more sense when the mission matters. The best reason for a team to get along with each other is so that they can achieve their mission. Start there. Focus there.  -- doug smith  

If you work long enough you'll notice something that will give you a strong perspective.  Every year there is a new problem that is capable of completely destroying you. Solve it and move on. No reason to surrender now. -- doug smith  

  As a customer, you'd know what you want. That's worth keeping in mind. Sometimes things might seem good for business but be bad for customers. If money is the only bottom line we find ourselves at the bottom quickly. It takes courage to say no to something that is bad for your customer but profitable for your business. People with that kind of courage are people worth doing business with. -- doug smith

I've got an unfinished project. Do you? It can be a motivator. It can get me going. Having an unfinished project prods me toward action. It feels motivating to always have at least one unfinished project. But, hey, do finish your projects.  Note to self: That project you're thinking about? Get it done. -- doug smith

We are best served by serving first. Without thinking about what's in it for us, we get more out of it by first giving. It that sounds amazing, it is. Amazingly effective. -- doug smith