Articles

Leadership Carole-Ann Penney, Founder Leadership Carole-Ann Penney, Founder

Which is worse: a micromanager or a hands-off manager?

Getting the balance between micromanaging and hands-off managing was a lot harder than I anticipated.That's what I wrote about in my most recent article for Harvard Business Review, where I offer three red flags that you're leaning too far to either direction—and what you can do to offer your team the support and direction they need to succeed.

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Leadership Carole-Ann Penney, Founder Leadership Carole-Ann Penney, Founder

Five Essential Skills For Leaders

One of my clients is in the process of earning her graduate degree in organizational leadership and learning.

She’s taking a course this summer on leadership development, and she shared with me that the course materials included a list of 45 must-have core skills for leaders. She wondered about my take on the topic.

My eyes bugged out of my head for a second.

I definitely have a take: 45 core skills for leaders is an impossible standard. It sets all leaders up for failure. It’s unwieldy and overwhelming. And it puts leadership in a place where it will always be just out of reach.

My own leadership philosophy took a while to crystallize, but it's quite simple…

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Leadership Carole-Ann Penney, Founder Leadership Carole-Ann Penney, Founder

Insecurity & Leadership

I have a new puppy / sidekick / coworker named Rosie. She's an adorable, quickly-growing, rescue beagle/terrier mix, and she is my first dog ever. What does having a dog have to do with leadership? As it turns out—everything.

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