You’ve seen this person in the room. The moment you share a new idea, they cross their arms. Before you’ve finished your second sentence, they’ve already listed three reasons it won’t work. Change initiatives hit them like a wall. New assignments get a sigh and a slow nod that says sure, but don’t expect miracles. […]
Picture a Monday morning team meeting. The manager at the front of the room has an agenda, a slide deck, and a pen tapping against his notebook. He’s waiting for people to stop talking so he can get through his material. He answers questions with short, clipped responses. He’s technically present. He’s technically leading. But […]
Picture the scene: it’s Q4 talent review time. The leadership team is gathered around a conference table — or a Zoom grid of tired faces — and someone pulls up the classic 3×3 nine-box grid. Names get written in boxes. Conversations happen in hushed tones. People get quietly labeled as “high potentials” or “low performers,” […]
Picture the scene: it’s Q4 talent review time. The leadership team is gathered around a conference table — or a Zoom grid of tired faces — and someone pulls up the classic 3×3 nine-box grid. Names get written in boxes. Conversations happen in hushed tones. People get quietly labeled as “high potentials” or “low performers,” […]
Picture this. You’re in a conference room across from a vendor you’ve worked with for years. The conversation is supposed to be about renewing the contract. On paper, it’s a simple negotiation — scope, price, timeline. But twenty minutes in, something feels off. He’s digging in on a line item that barely matters. His jaw […]
The call came in on a Tuesday afternoon. A senior executive I’d been coaching for about six months was on the line, voice cracking just a little. His board had just shifted direction for the third time that quarter. His team was looking at him like he owed them answers he didn’t have. And he […]
It’s Tuesday morning. You’re sitting in your office staring at a team that used to have energy. The same people who once stayed late because they wanted to now clock out at 4:59 like they’re escaping a burning building. Projects that used to get done in a week now drag on for three. And here […]
You hired them carefully. You trained them well. You gave them clear expectations. And then you watched — from the corner of your eye, or sometimes not even that discreetly — as they did the work almost right. So you stepped back in. Tweaked the email before it went out. Redrew the slide deck. Re-explained […]
By Doug Thorpe | Leadership Powered by Common Sense® You’re sitting across from an employee. The door is closed. Your notes are in front of you. And you’re stalling. You know exactly what needs to be said. The performance isn’t there. The numbers tell the story. The rest of the team feels it. But somewhere […]
How Servant Leaders Develop People, Hold Standards, and Make Tough Calls — All While the Line Is Out the Door By Doug Thorpe | dougthorpe.com | Leadership Powered by Common Sense® It’s 11:47 on a Tuesday morning. Your top performer just called in sick. A client is on hold — frustrated and getting louder. Two […]
