Its the 'How'

The interpersonal skill set of leaders often carries more weight and garners more respect than if someone is simply super bright.

Fair to say? 

Leadership means so much more than "knowing what you're doing." It's actually about how the work gets done.

The most effective leaders bring a vision to life...inspire the team to believe in that vision...and include them on the journey to achieving success together.

The old school leader adopts a command-and-control style. That works well in military contexts, not so much in the world of 2026.

If I asked you to think about the greatest leader you ever worked with or for, would you say they were a fantastic disciplinarian? Maybe they had mastered the art of instilling fear in the team?

No, of course you wouldn't.

The powerhouse skills that have real impact are always found in how others are treated. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were on someone's "greatest list."

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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Lead from the Front

There have been numerous labels for it over the years…rounding, visibility, being accessible…you get the point.

There is a different version of this approach that I’d like to unpack a bit today.

Leading from the front.

That feels different when you say it, right?

Rounding is a powerful tool, and one that I highly recommend to any leader that wants credibility. The differentiator here is the word leading.

I’ve seen plenty of ineffective members of management round on employees, chat for a minute (if at all) and then scoot on to the next area and repeat the same encounter.

Leading is more. 

It’s a set of behaviors that go beyond “how’s your shift going?” It’s having a conversation about the difficult things…it’s staying to discuss tough topics with the team who live with those tough topics every day…and it is certainly an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in documenting, solving, and closing the loop on those issues.

Let’s not allow ourselves to fall into the drive-by rounding trap. No one leads from a wave as they quickly pass through a work area, and we’ve known that since we watched our first arrogant boss hustle through our workspace.

Schedule the time.

Talk with the team.

Humanize yourself…because leaders are much more than a job title.

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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16 Years of Accountability

One of the words that gets thrown around constantly is accountability. In organizations large and small the desire to be the very best often carries with it different interpretations of what acceptable norms should be.

Every company wrestles with this issue, and what often comes from it is a renewed awareness around what accountability means for that particular organization.

That was one of the reasons I launched NoExcusesHR…to help me, and other leaders hold ourselves accountable so we could be better. 

When leaders are better, our organizations are better. 

It’s that simple.

So, today I celebrate sixteen years of accountability with all of you.

Thank for you for raising the issues, challenging me to be better, and hopefully, you’ve been inspired once or twice to elevate your leadership performance too.

Thank you so much for being here these last sixteen years.

Jay

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The Simple Corporate Culture Combination

We’ve all heard the question as our organizations grow…”how are we going to maintain our culture as things change?”

It’s a great question.

The answer…at least from my perspective…is based on two core behaviors. It’s not about the latest program of the month, or a slick poster on the break room wall. It’s not about a weekly email that reminds everyone how special we all are.

It’s more personal. It’s about one-to-one interactions that take the corporate mission and values down to the individual level.

First, show kindness.

Kindness always makes an impact. It doesn’t mean we are soft or ineffective. It means we have prioritized people over arrogance or getting caught up in job titles, perceived power, or influencing others based on fear.

Second, accountability must be the norm.

Allowing behaviors to continue that are detrimental to the team, patients, clients or customers is simply a leadership failure. Swinging the proverbial leadership hammer is not what I’m talking about here. If you need to swing a hammer you’ve completely missed the early warning signs.

Intervene as the signs appear with a sidebar, private word, or short note that cuts to the chase while maintaining your professionalism. 

Additionally, often times, peer-to-peer accountability is more powerful than the leader getting involved.

Two behaviors that can drive culture. 

What do you think?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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Start Me Up

Stop overthinking so much.

Stop worrying so much.

Stop analyzing so much.

Stop discussing so much.

Make a decision.

Take action.

Give it your best guess.

Use the information you have today to get started.

Everyone is watching. Are you going to make things happen...or...be the leader that always waits and never actually gets things moving until it is safe to do so...and far too late?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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Five Things

1. Choose kindness first.

2. Lead with integrity no matter what.

3. Bring the energy every day, even if you don't feel up to it.

4. Go for it...risk-taking changes the game.

5. Value every person around you, and make sure they know.

Thanks for being here.

Jay 

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A Little Impact

How do you do it? Make an impact each day. Is that concept on your radar; or, has life slipped into a familiar routine that taking extra steps each day just doesn't register anymore?

I used to be there. One day was the same as the next...work simply flowed along...and time passed.

And then I realized I felt...different. Something was missing. 

Sure, I was trying to do a good job at work...but...

Then I was reminded that it's not all about me. Shocking, yes, but it turns out to be true.

So in the summer of 2022 I decided to reach out (nearly) every day to check in on others. 

Nothing complicated.

Nothing overly emotional.

Nothing connected to an expectation.

...just genuinely checking in on other people to see how they are doing.

I'm four years in now and have checked on hundreds of people. Many of them more than once.

I'm not chasing recognition here; it's actually a call-to-action. You have time each day to send a text or direct message.

Do it.

That message might come at just the right time for the person on the receiving end.

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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