17 Apr

Getting Influential: Getting More Things Done

icons of people connected in various way and circles representing various levels; by salomons.coach
Most managers have two default tools when they need something to happen: tell people what to do, or escalate to someone who can. Direct communication and the chain of command. Both have their place. But if they are your primary or only tools for getting things done across an organization, you have a problem. Not because they don't work, but because they work less and less the higher you climb and the more complex your environment becomes. The managers and project managers who consistently get things done are not the ones with the biggest title or the loudest voice. They are the ones who understand that in most modern organisations, influence is the currency that actually moves things. Directives produce...
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15 Mar

“Not Strategic Enough”: The Label That Hides the Real Problem

The phrase “not strategic enough” is one of the most common labels used when leaders hit an invisible career ceiling. But in executive teams it often hides a deeper problem — unclear expectations, power dynamics, or low psychological safety. Before developing the individual, leaders must first examine the system that produced the label.
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18 Feb

How to create ownership in organizations

Ownership in organizations is often treated as a mindset problem. In reality, it is a design issue. When goals are unclear, authority and accountability are misaligned, and leadership behavior is inconsistent, ownership erodes. This article explains why ownership is not something you demand from people, but something you deliberately build through structure, behavior, and leadership discipline.
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18 Jan

The rules of an excellent leadership dialogue

Excellent leadership dialogue is not about open discussion without boundaries. It is a disciplined practice that creates shared understanding, surfaces real differences, and leads to genuine commitment. When leaders avoid constructive conflict or rush to agreement, alignment becomes fragile and execution suffers. The strongest leadership teams invest in dialogue first, so commitment follows naturally, without the need to manage appearances.
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18 Jan

From agreement to commitment: why real alignment is built in dialogue

Many leadership teams mistake agreement for commitment. When dialogue is rushed and constructive conflict is avoided, alignment becomes something that must be shown rather than earned. People comply, but they do not commit. Real alignment is built earlier, through disciplined dialogue, the courage to surface different perspectives, and the willingness to stay in the conversation until shared understanding emerges. When leaders invest in that process, commitment follows naturally. And when commitment is real, alignment no longer needs to be managed, it simply shows.
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02 Jan

Results are never the problem. They are the mirror.

Leadership is not revealed in intentions, values, or language. It is revealed in results. In my work with leaders and teams, I always start with outcomes — and then work backwards to what leadership truly demands under pressure. Not to judge, but to understand which patterns, decisions, and behaviors are quietly shaping performance. Results are never the problem. They are the mirror.
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18 Dec

One-on-ones as a leadership discipline: from status updates to development dialogues

2 persons having a one-on-one conversation in a meeting room behind a table with icons above their heads illustrating content components
One-on-one meetings are one of the most powerful leadership tools — and one of the most frequently misused. Drawing from personal leadership experience and evidence-based research, this article explores how leaders can design and execute one-on-ones that go beyond status updates and become conversations that build clarity, trust, and sustainable performance.
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31 Oct

When teams work hard but not together

Most teams don’t fail because they don’t work hard — they fail because they work too fast, too isolated, and without reflection. When every team focuses on solving its own problems, sub-optimization becomes inevitable. Each quick fix triggers side effects elsewhere, creating a vicious cycle of ad-hoc problem-solving that drains energy and weakens performance. Research on High-Performing Teams shows that real success depends on trust, shared purpose, and systemic alignment — not more speed. Breaking that cycle starts when leaders and teams slow down long enough to Reflect, Reset, Re-Align, and Rise™ — together.
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