Learned behaviors are hard to replace, even if we want to do something different. But the world moves forward, and opportunities pass us by. What have you thought about doing, but haven't yet?

Stop Using the Compliment Sandwich. It Doesn't Work.

Sep 20th, 2022 4m 24s

Always separate praise and feedback. The compliment sandwich not only doesn’t lessen the discomfort of feedback, it destroys the value of the praise. Here are some practical ways to resolve both problems, and avoid the well-intentioned but extr

Imposter Syndrome is a Myth

Sep 13th, 2022 4m 11s

Imposter Syndrome is a myth. Not the feeling, but how we are told to handle the feeling. That discomfort and self-doubt is actually a learning marker, and with the proper support, it is a critical motivator for learning.

Wouldn’t You Rather People Hold Each Other Accountable?

Dec 20th, 2021 7m 51s

Shared accountability is where members hold each other accountable for the group's performance. Most organizations lack the strength of the functions of leadership that is necessary for this form of accountability. Here are four things ways you

Seven Ways to Begin Giving Constant Feedback (and Avoid the Pitfalls of the Performance Review)

Dec 16th, 2021 10m 57s

The functional approach to leadership allows us to see feedback not as an annual performance process, but rather as an interchange that moves information from one place to another. Constant feedback shows the members of the organization where t

Organizational Culture is a Symptom of Work

Dec 13th, 2021 9m 24s

(Part 2, Organizational Culture Change) Organizational culture is a symptom of work. To change culture, we have to understand how these elements enable work to be performed, and therefore why it is uncomfortable to change them. Then we can act

The Foundation of Organizational Culture is Work

Dec 10th, 2021 10m 1s

(Part 1, Organizational Culture Change Series) Culture change is often a judgment that behaviors are bad. Functional leadership flips this paradigm upside down, to performing work.

Here Are Six Reasons "What Do Good Leaders Do?" Is a Useless Question.

Dec 6th, 2021 7m 39s

Stop asking, "What Do Good Leaders Do?" because it doesn't help you be a better leader. Here's what to do instead.

Building Learning into a Developing Organization (Part 4, Leadership for Entrepreneurs)

Nov 30th, 2021 10m 35s

The function of learning allows the group to explore new, better ways to do the work. Learn three critical strategies to build learning into your organizational processes as you hire employees or grow your business.

The Value of a Book (THE LIST: Read to Lead)

Nov 24th, 2021 7m 35s

Books expose us to new leadership ideas. If we don't have this exposure, our growth is limited by chance and luck. With a constant stream of new ideas, we can improve one small bit at a time but immeasurably over a lifetime. This is the return

"They Are Not Listening to Me" - the Process of Learning (Leadership for Entrepreneurs Part 3)

Nov 6th, 2021 5m 59s

Entrepreneurs (and new supervisors and managers) become leaders through a process of learning. In this third episode in the Entrepreneurs and Leadership series, we discuss the function of learning and the specific challenges experienced by new

"Do It My Way" - Leadership Relationships (Leadership for Entrepreneurs Part 2)

Nov 2nd, 2021 14m 12s

Leadership relationships are how people work together to complete tasks in an organization. In this video, we introduce the concept of leadership relationships for the new leader or entrepreneur who is scaling a business. Learn the difference b

Entrepreneurs and Relationships: The Inventory Example

Nov 2nd, 2021 1m 37s

This excerpt from the full "Building Leadership Relationships for Entrepreneurs" episode is the example of inventory. If your organization struggles to consistently manage resource inventory, this is for you. Quit running out of raw materials a

The Function of Vision and The Goodness of Leadership

Nov 1st, 2021 5m 12s

Leadership is a good thing to do. I mean that statement with all of the weight of the word "good." Vision is a story each person tells themselves (hence why it is a function) and this is why leadership is good.

Coaching as a Leader (REVIEWED: iCOACH by Thomas D. Zweifel)

Oct 26th, 2021 6m 41s

Coaching is a hot topic these days. Everyone is trying to become a coach, or trying to become a coach of coaches. But that is unrealistic for most of us. So what is the real value of this kind of book? What do we get, as leaders from where we a

The Entrepreneur's Vision versus the Leader's Vision (Leadership for Entrepreneurs Part 1)

Oct 22nd, 2021 7m 15s

When entrepreneurs start to hire new employees and scale the business, they need a new way to talk about vision. (This is true of all new managers, in fact!) These are the three common mistakes: 1. Not telling the whole story of vision. 2. Not

A Tactic for Other's Frustration -- and an Unfortunate REVIEWED: No Ego (Cy Wakeman)

Oct 15th, 2021 9m 15s

Ever had someone complain, and you just didn't know what to do? Listen to this episode and you will. The tactic also illustrates the difference between unconscious, undirected learning and a deliberate learning process. The tactic is the one us

Players versus Coaches

Oct 9th, 2021 3m 34s

We look for leadership advice in the wrong places. This is why players aren't coaches, and what we should do instead.

REVIEWED: Atomic Habits (THE LIST)

Sep 25th, 2021 5m 50s

Atomic Habits by James Clear applies the learning process to building good habits. But it also offers insightful lessons for us as leaders, including the power of organizational culture and thoughts to reframe our perspective of learning.

Moving Forward with Expectations

Sep 22nd, 2021 6m 11s

Accountability is only possible with clear, complete expectations. Learn how to communicate these in this episode, and check out the two related SEEING EXERCISES on www.thedefinitionofleadership.com.

REVIEWED: Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic

Sep 11th, 2021 7m 39s

In this Short Take, I discuss Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic. This is a comprehensive, insightful analysis of the story of vision from a functional leadership model that is useful to any leader. My Blueprint for Revolution summary in

REVIEWED and a Rant

Sep 5th, 2021 8m 5s

This was supposed to be a review of The Benevolent Dictator by Dr. Justin Hamrick, but it brought my distaste for the failures of traditional leadership development. Hold on to your hats.

The Loneliness of Leadership: How We Move Forward

Aug 26th, 2021 4m 23s

Vision is powerful, but we feel pain when we lose sight of it. This is true for members of the group and for us as leaders. In this episode, we talk about how the function of vision explains and allows us to move past this loneliness.

REVIEWED: The Insider's Guide to Culture Change

Aug 14th, 2021 5m 56s

ReDefine's first REVIEWED Short Take explores an ambitious but ultimately disappointing work. (Siobhan McHale's The Insider's Guide to Culture Change. HarperCollins Leadership, 2020.)

What is a Leaderless Group, and Why Does It Matter?

Aug 8th, 2021 7m 49s

The concept of a leaderless group illustrates the fundamental concept of functional leadership, and it gives us a powerful exercise to understand and succeed at our role as leaders.