"Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be." —Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric Most business books focus on how leaders can achieve more. How can you do more, better…and faster? This full-length article takes the opposite tack: how and why, as leaders, you should sit … [Read more...] about The Mindful Leader: Sit and Be Still
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A Checklist for Managing Your Boss
There will always be those who view the concept of managing upward as flattery and manipulation. Others hold the common belief that if bosses are wise, they don’t need to be managed and such efforts will be viewed solely as attempts to play office politics. But managing upward is not about … [Read more...] about A Checklist for Managing Your Boss
4 Paths to Less Business Stress
Work is a common source of unhappiness and stress. Studies have concluded that the number of burned-out, stressed-out or chronically stressed individuals is between one-fourth and one-third of the work force. Leaders and workers must be fully present and engaged at work, in a state of health and … [Read more...] about 4 Paths to Less Business Stress
Narcissistic Leaders in Times of Uncertainty
Today, rapid changes in technology, the economy and the way business is conducted call for robust leadership. To paraphrase Dickens, it is the best of times and the worst of times. In the quest for leaders who can “save” us, we turn to strong charismatic CEOs, in spite of the inherent risks of … [Read more...] about Narcissistic Leaders in Times of Uncertainty
4 Uncommon Leadership Qualities & 5 Common Myths
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