Posts by Kevin Sprague
Part 3 – How to Customize One-on-Ones for High Performers and Low Performers
This is the third in a three-part series on one-on-ones and situational leadership. In the first post, we explored why one-on-ones are where situational leadership happens. In the second post, we introduced the people list: six questions to help you manage one person at a time. Now let’s look at how to use that tool…
Part 2 – The People List: Six Questions for Managing One Person at a Time
This is the second in a three-part series on one-on-ones and situational leadership. In the first post, we explained why one-on-ones are where situational leadership happens: they are the place to customize your management approach for each person. Now let’s look at one of the simplest and most powerful tools for doing that: the people…
Part 1 – Why One-on-Ones Are Where Situational Leadership Happens
This is the first in a three-part series on one-on-ones and situational leadership. In this series, we will share how to use structured one-on-one conversations to tune in to each individual’s needs, customize your management approach, and get better results from every person you manage. Most managers develop a style over time. They get into…
Real Empowerment Requires Better Training Tools, Not Less Management
In many workplaces, “empowerment” has become shorthand for leaving people alone. Managers are told not to micromanage. Employees are encouraged to take ownership. Teams are urged to be flexible, collaborative, and self-directed. But in practice, many managers interpret empowerment as a hands-off approach: give people the job, trust them to figure it out, and step…
Why “I’m a People Person” Is Not a Management Strategy
Being good with people is valuable. Managers absolutely need empathy, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust. But too often, a leader says, “I’m a people person,” as though that alone qualifies them to manage others effectively. The truth is that being likable, approachable, or relational is not the same as practicing…
When a Strong Performer Resists the System
High-performing employees often earn a great deal of trust from leaders—and for good reason. They produce results, solve problems, and often bring a level of drive that elevates those around them. But when one of those strong performers begins to resist established systems, processes, or expectations, managers can find themselves in a dangerous bind: either…
Young Graduates Are Facing a Tough Job Market. That Makes Career Skills More Important Than Ever.
A recent New York Times article, “Young Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years,” puts words to what many early-career professionals, parents, educators, and employers are already feeling: the path from school to work has become more uncertain, more crowded, and more discouraging. As the article explains, this is not just about fear of…
Why “Managing by Interruption” Is Undermining Your Team’s Performance
Most teams do not struggle because people lack talent, experience, or good intentions. More often, performance breaks down because managers are communicating in a reactive, fragmented way—jumping in when something feels urgent, addressing whatever is top of mind, and moving on without enough clarity, structure, or follow-up. That approach may feel fast in the moment,…
Coaching and Mentoring: The Power of Teaching-Style Management
In organizations everywhere, leaders talk about coaching and mentoring as essential tools for developing talent. Yet in many workplaces, these practices remain vague aspirations rather than everyday management behaviors. Managers are told to “coach more” or “be mentors,” but they are rarely taught how to do so in concrete terms. The solution is simpler than…
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…