Articles for category: Leadership

November 22, 2021

Greg Thomas

Caveats for Success

I did a presentation a little while ago that was a deep dive analysis on the probability of delivery of across a variety of factors. It looked pretty good on paper but then we got to the last page with all the caveats. Numbers are good, but caveats drive it home. Caveats are everything that needs to be in place for you to be a success, for you to align your team, for you to make things happen, and actually give this plan a shot at success. Caveats are the baseline for your success and if you don’t know what

November 14, 2021

Greg Thomas

Delivering by NotePad

You start with Notepad. But you get better. You move onto Excel/Sheets. And you keep getting better. And then you bring in Trello. In doing this you don’t stop figuring out a better path. And then you move on to Azure DevOps or JIRA. You use the tool that makes the most sense, for the team you have, for the project you are trying to deliver. If you need JIRA and are using Notepad, you’re going to have a problem. Find the tool you need that helps your job, and doesn’t hinder it.

November 13, 2021

Greg Thomas

The Leaving Game

When you’ve made the decision somewhere you have a few options in front of you.. Leave in a Blaze of Glory – let everyone know you’re leaving, you’re fed up, they should have listened to you and now they’ll regret. Stop doing Everything and Anything – collect your paycheck, let them see what happens when you aren’t doing anything. Set them up for Success – you know there is going to be a hole where you used to be (c’mon, it’s you) so set them up for success, help them get better, they might not listen to you, but that’s

November 10, 2021

Greg Thomas

Leaders and Org Charts

Org Charts are built for the structure to show who you report and the “next” person you should talk to when you need to talk to someone for help. The problem with Org Charts is they don’t show leadership. They don’t show the leaders you should be talking to, should be mentored by, and should be listened to. That requires going outside of the lines. And that’s where the Leaders in your company are.

Where you Need to Lead

A simple exercise you can do by yourself when you’re not sure where to lead, all you need is a piece of paper and a list. Write down everything, EVERYTHING, you and your team are doing. Now right beside each item who is leading it. If you are spending more than a few seconds trying to identify who is leading it, chances are no one is, and you have your answer.