4 Uncommon Leadership Qualities & 5 Common Myths Everyone agrees great leaders have vision, energy, authority and good strategic direction. Leaders must also have enthusiastic followers; leadership requires skills in persuading others to commit to company goals and embrace initiatives … [Read more...] about 4 Uncommon Leadership Qualities & 5 Common Myths
The 8 Traps of Decision Making
Before making an important decision, prudent managers evaluate the situations confronting them — and often fall into one of the eight traps of faulty thinking. Some managers are too optimistic and overconfident: They overestimate success and underestimate the range of potential outcomes. On the … [Read more...] about The 8 Traps of Decision Making
11 Universal Laws for Success: Doing What Works
If you watch closely, you can see successful people exercising these laws everyday. In fact, one way to be successful is to do just that: find a successful person you admire, watch carefully, observe what works, and do it as well. Here are 11 ways success comes about. The Law of … [Read more...] about 11 Universal Laws for Success: Doing What Works
Once Again: Just How Do You Motivate People?
You know you have a talented group of people working for you. You may have personally hired some of them or seen their excellent work in other teams. But all of this talent is meaningless if you cannot raise the bar and motivate people to produce their best work ever, for you and your team, right … [Read more...] about Once Again: Just How Do You Motivate People?
Leadership Personality: Do You Have the Right Big Five Traits?
“Personalities at work are like cars in the city: They often can keep us from our destination.” Pierce J. Howard, The Owner’s Manual for Personality at Work, 2001. How well do you understand basic personality differences among the people at work? Knowledge of personality structure, dynamics and … [Read more...] about Leadership Personality: Do You Have the Right Big Five Traits?
Good Boss, Bad Boss: 20 Bad Habits Leaders Should Stop Now
“We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.” —Management expert Peter Drucker, as quoted by Marshall Goldsmith in What Got You Here Won’t … [Read more...] about Good Boss, Bad Boss: 20 Bad Habits Leaders Should Stop Now
Leadership Taboos: Exploring Credibility
Leaders do many things others couldn’t get away with and cannot understand. And each time a leader “gets away” with something, there’s an erosion of credibility. Leaders are charged with getting things done through others, so we allow them a great leeway. We expect our leaders to exert power, … [Read more...] about Leadership Taboos: Exploring Credibility
Decision Making: Emotion or Reason?
Have you ever made a foolish decision that had unpleasant consequences? Needless to say, we all have. Consider the following: • We go grocery shopping with the resolve to eat healthfully and buy a gallon of ice cream… just in case friends stop by. • We need to replace our used car… and end up … [Read more...] about Decision Making: Emotion or Reason?
Split Personality? Living with Our Competing Selves
What happens when we come face to face with our own inconsistencies? It may happen when broken New Year’s Resolutions become far too apparent to ignore. Or, it hits us when we say one thing to our children, and an inner voice reminds us that we don’t walk our talk. At work, we make a bold statement … [Read more...] about Split Personality? Living with Our Competing Selves
Freedom— or Burden of Choice? – Part 2
“Here we are, living at the pinnacle of human possibility, awash in material abundance. As a society, we have achieved what our ancestors could, at most, only dream about, but it has come at a great price. We get what we say we want, only to discover that what we want doesn’t satisfy us...” — … [Read more...] about Freedom— or Burden of Choice? – Part 2