Shelley Row's Blog

When my sister, Alison, and I hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) this summer, one of our primary goals was simple: Stay upright and protect your focus. That may sound like a modest ambition, but on a steep mountain trail covered with loose rocks, roots, boulders, and uneven footing, it requires considerable effort – particularly for two hikers over 60.

Going uphill was physically demanding. Going downhill was trickier. A rock that looked stable could move under your boot. A root could catch you...

In August, my sister, Alison, and I hiked the northern half of the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB). For five days, our routine was remarkably consistent: get up, put on our hiking boots, shoulder our packs, and climb. And climb.

Most days involved more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain, followed by an equally daunting descent. Before the trip, we wondered whether we could actually do it. We are both over 60, and looking at the elevation profiles before we left was enough to make us question the wisdom...

Decisions don’t end when they’re made….At least, they shouldn’t.

Too often, teams move quickly from one decision to the next without stopping to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. The result is predictable: the same mistakes repeat, and valuable insights are lost.

As a good manager, build learning into the process. It’s time well spent. 

You made the decision, and you feel good about it. But that’s only part of the job. Communicating decisions effectively determines whether it succeeds or stalls. When the decision is unpopular, communication becomes even more important.

As a manager, it’s easy to fall into one of two traps. You over-explain, trying to convince everyone the decision is right, or you under-communicate to avoid discomfort. Neither works and both can result in confusion that erodes trust.

Effective communication re...

You are moving fast and you feel like you need to move faster.
Make the decision. Send the email. Check the box. Keep things going.
It feels productive. It feels efficient. But often, going fast leads to rework, confusion, and misguided action that slows everything down later.
As a good leader, know when to pause.

Slowing down doesn’t mean delaying decisions or overanalyzing every detail. It means creating just enough space to think clearly before acting. A small pause can significantly improve...

Leaders, like you, like clarity. Data. Certainty. A clear path forward.

But most of the time, especially during change – certainty is not what you get.

Instead, you’re asked to make decisions with incomplete information, shifting priorities, and pressure to move quickly. You may want to wait for the “right” answer because it feels like responsible leadership. In reality, however, waiting may create more risk than acting.

The key point is: there is rarely a perfect decision. The goal is to make ...

We’re on a journey to create an accountability culture. However, accountability without consequences is just a suggestion. Too often, leaders avoid consequences. Leaders worry about conflict, morale, or being perceived as “too hard.” The reality is that inconsistency with staff causes far more damage than consequences ever will.

We tend to think of consequences as negative, but consequences can also be positive. Positive consequences include recognition, praise, rewards, increased responsibilit...

You, as a leader, are accountable for accountability. As we discussed in an earlier newsletter, clear expectations are essential – but not enough. Accountability succeeds or fails based on how expectations are communicated and how progress is assessed over time. Accountability is not a one-time conversation; it’s an ongoing leadership discipline. That discipline is your job.

Effective communication means more than issuing instructions or expecting that the team will just “get it.” It is the lea...

When do you first notice a problem with accountability? Is it when a deadline is missed? A deliverable doesn’t meet your expectations? Top staff scramble to make up for a gap in others’ performance? While each of these examples is a problem, the accountability problem began much earlier.

Most accountability problems don’t start with missed deadlines. They start the moment a task is assigned without sufficient clarity and mutual understanding. Technical leaders often believe they have been clear...

“Why don’t they just do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it?!”

This is how accountability problems typically show up: frustration with someone who isn’t meeting your expectations. While it’s true that staff need to do their job, it is also true that, particularly in technical organizations, accountability issues rarely stem from a lack of intelligence or effort. Accountability problems emerge from ambiguity.

Missed deadlines, quality problems, and repeated rework often ...