THE LEADERSHIP BLOG
Reflections on Leadership, Clarity, and Growth
Derek’s blog is where he shares reflections on leadership as it is lived: practical insights, real moments, and ideas leaders can return to when they need perspective. Many ideas shared here connect directly to Derek’s books, speaking topics, workshops, and the Lead on 3 framework. Readers often use these reflections as a place to pause, reset, and refocus.
Performance Management Shouldn't Feel Like Judgment Day
For a lot of employees, the annual performance review feels less like development and more like judgment day. They walk into a room knowing they're about to hear an official assessment of work they've been doing for the last 12 months, sometimes wondering whether they're about to learn something their leader has been thinking for months.
The “Good Job” Trap
During a leadership workshop with a group from the building industry, we were talking about feedback when a participant offered three words that captured one of its biggest problems:
“Good job at what?”
The Leadership Blind Spot
I was facilitating a leadership workshop when our conversation turned to feedback. One participant said something remarkably honest: “I take it personally.”