They’re everywhere. Walk into any workplace and you’ll find them. Regardless of your company’s success or employee-friendly culture, difficult people pose challenges for managers and team leaders each day. Some are angry; some are anxious. Others are fearful, negative and obstinate. Some spark … [Read more...] about Dealing with Difficult People
Managing Yourself: Are You Ready for a Coach?
The world of work is changing, and fast. Having a successful career means continually learning and adapting to rapidly evolving environments. You can’t do it alone. Coaching yourself is like the blind leading the blind: You can’t know what you don’t know. Coaching occurs all the time within an … [Read more...] about Managing Yourself: Are You Ready for a Coach?
How Do You Develop Leaders? Practice, Practice, Practice
Leadership isn’t just for leaders anymore. Top companies are beginning to understand that sustaining peak performance requires a commitment to developing leaders at all levels. Management experts Drs. Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard have defined leadership as “working with and through others to … [Read more...] about How Do You Develop Leaders? Practice, Practice, Practice
Open Source Innovation & Other Weird Ideas That Work
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay, computer scientist Self-managed volunteer hackers pool their skills every day on the Internet. Thousands of solo programmers compete to build software that’s bought by companies with whom they have little or no contact. Open … [Read more...] about Open Source Innovation & Other Weird Ideas That Work
A Leadership Checklist: 7 Questions
No matter how successful and talented you are, you’ve made mistakes and have acquired some bad habits. Some are old; others have seemingly popped up overnight. Behaviors that may have worked well for you in the past can render you ineffective in the present. Perhaps you’re dissatisfied with your … [Read more...] about A Leadership Checklist: 7 Questions
Great Expectations: The Boss/Direct Report Tango
What should a leader expect from a direct report and what can the latter expect from the leader in return? When both parties have clear expectations, the relationship is smooth like a tango. If one person gets out of step, however, the ensuing relationship makes for discord. While much has … [Read more...] about Great Expectations: The Boss/Direct Report Tango
The Leadership Void: The Problem That Isn’t Going Away
Most executives and HR specialists know a large percentage of baby boomers will retire over the next five to 10 years — and with them, 50% of the CEOs of major companies. But as with Hurricane Katrina, we see it coming and aren’t doing enough: We remain woefully unprepared. Some 75 million U.S. … [Read more...] about The Leadership Void: The Problem That Isn’t Going Away
The Unspoken Taboos of Leadership: Exploring Charisma
Leadership is messy — and not for everyone. It’s a contact sport, and people get hurt. Unfortunately, the subject remains poorly understood. Part of the problem is the expansion of the term “leadership” to refer to anyone who is relatively skilled, holds a position of some authority and has a … [Read more...] about The Unspoken Taboos of Leadership: Exploring Charisma
Things That Get in the Way of Executive Coaching
Too many executives receive poor or no coaching. They miss opportunities to become more effective in their positions of influence and are often denied promotions they deserve. Some leaders struggle in their careers, failing to recognize that hiring an executive coach can help them enormously. … [Read more...] about Things That Get in the Way of Executive Coaching
The Costs of Ego
“Ego is the invisible line item on every company’s profit and loss statement.” —David Marcum and Steven Smith in egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability), Fireside, 2007 Fifty-three percent of businesspeople estimate ego costs their company 6 to 15 percent of … [Read more...] about The Costs of Ego