Posts by Kevin Sprague
Leadership Drift: How It Happens — and How Fundamentals Bring Teams Back
Leadership problems rarely begin with a dramatic moment. More often, they begin with something much quieter. Drift. Drift happens when leaders gradually move away from the basic disciplines that make teams work well. Not intentionally. Usually it happens because everyone is busy. The work gets faster. The responsibilities grow. Meetings fill the calendar. And the…
The Four Performance Conversations Every Manager Must Master
Effective performance conversations aren’t awkward. They’re clarifying. Most managers avoid performance talk because they imagine conflict, embarrassment, or hurt feelings. In truth, the best performance conversations are practical, specific, and future-oriented. There are four conversations leaders must learn to have — and each one serves a distinct purpose: 1. The Productivity Conversation Focus: How work…
Performance Management Is About Improvement, Not Punishment
Performance management gets a bad rap Too many leaders hear those two words and think of weak performers, awkward conversations, and morale problems. That’s not performance management — that’s just firefighting. Real performance management is the discipline of helping people — all people — get better at what they do, day in and day…
The 12 Skills That Separate Top Professionals from Everyone Else
If you want to advance in your career, you don’t need more ambition. You need stronger self-management. The people who stand out at work aren’t always the smartest. They’re the most disciplined. They consistently manage themselves in ways that make them valuable to everyone around them. Self-management breaks down into 12 trainable skills across three…
The Holy Grail of Success at Work Is Self-Management
Most people think success at work is about managing other people. That’s wrong. The real differentiator is whether you can manage yourself. If you want to set yourself apart—as a leader, as a colleague, as a professional—start here: Become the kind of person everyone wants to work with and nobody wants to lose. That doesn’t…
The Leadership Talent You Need Is Probably Already Working for You
When organizations talk about leadership development, they often jump straight to high-potential programs, executive coaching, or external recruiting. That’s backward. Leadership development doesn’t begin with a search firm. It begins with disciplined attention to the people already on your payroll. In most organizations, there is far more leadership talent than anyone realizes. The problem isn’t…
The Leadership Pulse: Why Managing People Feels Harder Than Ever—and What Actually Works
After more than three decades of research across hundreds of organizations, one finding stands out above all others: It is getting harder to manage people. That’s not a complaint—it’s a reality. And it’s one leaders must confront head-on if they want consistent execution, strong performance, and a workplace where high performers thrive. Why Leadership Has…
When Good People Make Bad Decisions—and How to Make Good Ones
Treat every decision about “Yes” and “No” as a choice about investing your time and energy. Like making an investment decision, you should follow a due diligence process.