“To be fully engaged in our lives, we must be physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned with a purpose beyond our immediate self-interest.” — Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, The Power of Full Engagement (2003) Executives strive to sustain high … [Read more...] about Executive Engagement: Managing Energy With Stories
Mindset: Why Executives Thrive…Or Barely Survive
Mindset shapes our mental world, influences our outlook, determines the scope of our goals, and ultimately sets us on a path of growth and fulfillment—or one of stagnation. Executive suites are filled with high achievers who boast high IQs and stellar accomplishments. Still, some stagnate, while … [Read more...] about Mindset: Why Executives Thrive…Or Barely Survive
The End of Management as We Know It
Management is out of date. The principles upon which we run companies haven’t evolved to keep pace with the rapid changes of 21st-century business needs. Most companies continue to operate on management principles formulated in the last century and based on manufacturing needs. Like the … [Read more...] about The End of Management as We Know It
Judgment: Making Great Calls
What is the fundamental essence of leadership? Is it the ability to make consistently good judgment calls? Realistically, leaders are remembered for their best and worst judgment calls, especially when the stakes are high, information is limited and the correct call is far from obvious. In the … [Read more...] about Judgment: Making Great Calls
The Business Case for Happy Companies
There is no doubt that business success depends on highly motivated employees. Highly motivated employees multiply in organizations whose missions, leaders, and inner workings provide profound meaning and inspiration. —Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor, Marshall School of Business, … [Read more...] about The Business Case for Happy Companies
No More Jerks at Work: Preventing Desk Rage
It’s a sign of the times when a well-known Stanford professor and best-selling author publishes a book titled The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t (Warner Business Books, 2007). Robert I. Sutton argues that variations of terms like creep, jerk and bully … [Read more...] about No More Jerks at Work: Preventing Desk Rage
Managing Across Generations: Motivating Gen Xers
Younger generations — the so-called Gen Xers and New Millennials — comprise half the U.S. work force. The other half consists of 45% Baby Boomers and 5% veterans, many of whom are charged with motivating newer employees. But what happens when generations don’t share the same values and beliefs … [Read more...] about Managing Across Generations: Motivating Gen Xers
Relax, Don’t Worry: The Brain Science of Productivity
Everyone you meet these days is overworked and out of time. In our tech-enhanced world, we have more timesaving helpers and systems than ever before. So, why isn’t there enough time to juggle our work, home and health responsibilities? We have an enhanced quality of life, but we’re also adding to … [Read more...] about Relax, Don’t Worry: The Brain Science of Productivity
9 Common Delusions About High Performance
Do you really know what contributes to your company’s high performance — or are you making assumptions based on faulty logic? It turns out that most of the data regarding why one company succeeds and another fails is rife with errors in thinking and researcher bias. For all of the business … [Read more...] about 9 Common Delusions About High Performance
The Brain Science of Persuasion: 7 Automatic Triggers
People make two major mistakes when trying to persuade others: 1. Using the argument that would work best on themselves 2. Overestimating the power of logic and rationality The scientific study of persuasion has continued for more than half a century, yet executives across all fields make … [Read more...] about The Brain Science of Persuasion: 7 Automatic Triggers