White River, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington

Neil Baker Consulting and Coaching

Neil J. Baker M.D.

Leadership & team effectiveness

We cannot always be sure of the best path.
We take risks. We learn.

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  • What looks like a deficit in “people skills” may not be

  • Two ingredients to enhance speed and results

  • The impact of a visionary speech

  • Considering confrontation and challenge

  • Not resisting resistance

  • The boldness of not knowing

  • Holding the tension of paradox

  • The wisdom in our own imperfection (for outstanding leaders only)

June, 2013

Unleash your unused leadership capacity

Do you need to learn new skills or unleash skills you already have? Frustrating, stuck work interactions are very common. It is equally common for a leader to think “I don’t have the skills to turn things around.” But, that assumption is often wrong.Click below to find out more.

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February, 2013

Are you leading from reactivity or creativity?

Even in successful organizations, personal stress, complexity, uncertainty and the normal dynamics of groups and power can trigger disruptions in communication. Under stress and pressure, a minor slip into poor communication can lead to a chain reaction of misunderstanding and breakdowns in work relationships. I refer to such behaviors as reactivity– responses to stress that interfere with good relationships and results. This happens to great leaders. It happens to you. It happens to me. The use of four practices helps to counter such reactivity. Click below to find out more

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September, 2012

Invisible barriers to communication (part 1)

Disruptions of communication up, down or across a hierarchy are common.Such behaviors endanger results because such they raise the risk of breakdowns in agreements, role understandings, clarity of authority or performance of key tasks. But, it is important to always consider that such communication issues may have nothing to do with organizational culture, individual personalities, motivation or anyone’s actual level of communication skills. They could simply be evoked by the inherent dynamics of organizational life. Click below to find out more

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June, 2012

A powerful tool for change

Questions are at the heart of getting to results. They challenge fixed ideas, open up minds to new information, enhance dialogue and stimulate creativity. Questions are a powerful tool for change and improvement. But, certain questions can inhibit participation, learning and change. Click below to find out more.

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May, 2012

The unheralded middle

Do middle managers get in the way of change? Middle managers are regularly described as averse to change because they are seen to emphasize stability, command and control. But, multiple studies show they are critical to innovation and boost the level of outcomes that can be achieved in a change effort. Click below to find out more.

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