In Praise of Derek Jeter
Posted On October 1, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
The “Derek Jeter is Awesome” narrative has been pretty well done to death by now, so I won’t belabor the point. But his retirement on Sunday marks the end of a lot of things, above and beyond a baseball career. Sports, celebrity and politics have undergone a sea change in the last 20 years. Everyone […]
To Lead a Successful Team, Remember This About Your Teammates
Posted On September 30, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
A quick thought for you today… We preach “knowing your audience” here at The Latimer Group. We preach it all the time, all day, every day. It is critical to clear communication in the 21st century. In a team context, we would add a slight wrinkle. In a team context, being a great teammate and […]
Is There an Apollos Hester on Your Team? Is It You?
Posted On September 26, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
Today’s post was written by Amy Fenollosa, Director of Learning at The Latimer Group. Did you see Apollos Hester this week? He’s a high school football player from Texas whose 2-minute interview on local television went viral. It’s gotten more than 5 million views in less than a week. What is it about Apollos that intrigued […]
Switch and Shift: How to Practice the MOST Human Thing
Posted On September 23, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
We recently contributed another article to our friends at Switch and Shift, a business blog focused on “the human side of business.” Our latest piece is called, “How to Practice the MOST Human Thing,” and is all about listening to and respecting our colleagues. 21st century communication has become more about speaking than listening. More […]
When to Debate, When to Dictate
Posted On September 22, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
I’m working with an executive right now who has an interesting and engaging leadership style. He likes to collaborate, he likes dialogue, he wants to hear what people have to say. He allows lots of input, and seems to detest strict hierarchy. I like this style, actually, because it is similar to my own. But […]
Do You Keep Score at Work?
Posted On September 4, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
Have you ever worked with someone who “keeps score” with you? You know, that person who always seems to remember the people who owe them something, or who did something bad to them, or how many people they need to get even with? Scorekeepers are people who keep track of how many good things they […]
What Is “Leadership Transference?”
Posted On August 26, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
Leadership can mean different things at different times to different people. But a few things are non-negotiable. Not long ago, I read a short essay about Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the concept of “transference” came up. The point of the essay was that during his presidency, Roosevelt was not a healthy nor a strong man. He was in […]
No One Leads All the Time: 7 Characteristics of Good Followership
Posted On August 19, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, we often say, “No one leads all the time.” Part of being a good teammate – and a good leader – is knowing how to also be a good follower. True, followership isn’t always fun; it’s not always sexy. The credit often goes to the person in the lead. But good […]
On Robin Williams, Depression and Being a Good Friend
Posted On August 12, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
No matter how certain you are, you never really know what another person is going through. You never really know what it is like to walk a mile in another person’s shoes. You never really know what is going on in another person’s life. Yesterday, the world learned that comedian and actor Robin Williams had […]
“I” vs. “We” and President Obama
Posted On July 31, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
The pronouns we use when we speak can be a powerful window into the way we think, the way we lead, and the way we think about others. When we hear a leader speak with “I” as the dominant pronoun it creates a certain experience. And when we hear a leader speak with “we” as […]