A few years ago, I was sitting across from a school leader who looked completely spent.

He told me, almost proudly, “I’m working from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. most days. I don’t stop moving.”

There was a pause. Then he added something quieter.

“I just don’t feel like I’m actually getting ahead.”

That sentence has stayed with me, because it names a tension so many leaders experience but rarely say out loud. We are constantly doing things, yet we’re not always making progress on the things that matter most.

This is the difference between real productivity and perceived productivity.

productivityNaphtali HoffJanuary 12, 2026Impactful Coaching & Consultingproduction, productivity, productive, busyness, trainingComment

The Best Leaders are Teachers

The best leaders are also great teachers.

Like great teachers, who demystify for their students critical areas like how best to learn, organize information, and study, great leaders are regularly teaching their people what they've learned about what does or doesn't work.

Here are some of the benefits that arise when leaders take on the role of educators and empower their teams.

Knowledge Transfer: When leaders take the time to share their knowledge, they help team members avoid pitfalls, make informed decisions, and accelerate their own growth.

5 Areas Where Teachers Need Support Right Now, Part II

A critical, “non-academic” area that teachers must master is their ability to teach and support students’ social-emotional needs and development, while growing their mindset and confidence to succeed. Let’s focus on the latter, our mindsets and the role they play in our success.

In her bestselling book Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success, Stanford Professor Carol Dweck talks about people’s mindsets with regards to their ability to perform new tasks. She describes people who stay squarely in their comfort zones and others that venture well beyond them. Dweck labeled these mindsets as “fixed” and “growth,” respectively.

5 areas where teachers can support students in learning, Part I

For new teachers, the process of getting ready for the school year can draw mixed emotions. On the one hand, it is exciting to don your creativity cap and consider new ways to make school and learning exciting. At the same time, there can be some nervousness associated with your preparation, particularly when you’re not sure what the new year will even look like, as in whether it will include in-person instruction, remote learning or some blended variation.

Make no mistake, this is by far the most uncertain start to the school year that any of us have ever experienced. We don’t know what form school will take in a couple of months and we must figure out how to close academic gaps that were created by the pandemic; deal with issues of mindset (student and teacher); provide opportunities for social-emotional learning; and be prepared for the residual (if not current) effects of trauma and more. All while still managing our classrooms effectively and providing our students with engaging instruction that is differentiated to ensure that all learners’ needs are met.

How to Help Your People Become Unconsciously Competent

We all want our people to do good, competent work. We also want them to work quickly, without having to think extensively each time about what it is that they’re doing. In other words, we want them to develop to a level of unconscious competence.

Researchers have identified four stages that people progress through as they develop their skills in various areas. Initially (stage 1,) individuals are unaware of how little they know about their knowledge or skill deficits. They are unconscious of the scope of their incompetence and are consequently unlikely to take meaningful action to increase their capacity.

Delegate But Don't Abdicate

Leaders want to delegate so they can clear their desks and get more done.

But many make the mistake of punting away the work, or abdicating, and not offering those that are helping them the tools they need to succeed.

Learn how to empower and support your people to help ensure the success of your next delegation project.

How to Find the Right Person and Train Them, Part II

Finding the right person to delegate to may not be enough. Often, that person – experienced or not – is going to need to learn new concepts and skills to do their job correctly and efficiently.

One of the first questions you want to ask is, “what do you need to learn in order to do this task properly?” Once s/he has responded, add whatever you feel may still be missing. At that point, work to determine how s/he is going to get the needed training.

How to Find the Right People and Train Them, Part I

Part of determining who to delegate tasks to will depend on who you have available as well as your purpose and intent when delegating. For example, tasking something to a new hire that you are looking to groom may look very different from asking a seasoned member of the team to complete the same task. One may be better equipped to do it today than the other, but that may not be your primary consideration.

Here are some factors to consider when seeking to identify the right candidate for delegation.

The experience, knowledge and skills of the individual. What knowledge, skills and attitude does the person already have? How do they match up to the task at hand? What will they need to learn? Do you have time and resources to provide any training needed?
The person’s current schedule and workload. Does the person have time to take on more work? Will this task require reshuffling of other responsibilities and workloads?

From barracks to boardroom: How Bill Sandbrook parlayed military experience into corporate success

When I asked Sandbrook whether it was harder to emerge from Chapter 11 or to resurrect a defeated leadership team, he quickly said the latter. You can find ways to get funding and other components that are needed for a turnaround, he told me, but it’s not so easy to change people’s mindsets and behaviors.

Success, he said, works from the inside out or from small to big. To use a military analogy, he sought to make winners out of people who weren’t used to winning. Once they developed a greater sense of control, efficacy and success on a personal level, it was just a matter of time before the company would benefit. As of this writing, the stock trades well over $50 per share.

business, coaching, leadership, relationships, teachingNaphtali HoffAugust 26, 2016leader, leaders, leadership, military, training, executive coachingComment

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