We’re wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize that it isn’t, we start looking around for the real world. ― Lev Grossman, The Magicians A recent New York Times article points out that the way we manage our … [Read more...] about Are You in an Expectation Gap?
Careers
5 Golden Rules for Leadership
Are leaders born or made? One could argue for either position. The real issue is that all leaders can improve. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or a high-potential team member, you can boost your performance in five crucial leadership areas. More than half a million business books deal with … [Read more...] about 5 Golden Rules for Leadership
Competing Commitments: Are You Immune to Change?
It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to lose 5 or 50 pounds, quit smoking or stop drinking. New Year’s resolutions and other goals are hard to keep beyond the first month. Change is hard. Why? Because the brain is tricky. No matter how sincerely we want to break a habit, we have an inherent … [Read more...] about Competing Commitments: Are You Immune to Change?
Focus on the Future: How to Be More Forward-Looking
What single quality differentiates high-potential leaders from ordinary contributors in an organization? It’s their ability to be forward-looking and focus on the future. To become a better leader or distinguish yourself as someone primed for promotion, you’ll want to develop your capacity to … [Read more...] about Focus on the Future: How to Be More Forward-Looking
Be A Better Listener
Why do we admire celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Bill Clinton? They make you feel like you’re the most important person in the room. They excel at listening—a skill that separates great personalities from the near-great. (photo courtesy Michal Marcol / … [Read more...] about Be A Better Listener
The Work Paradox:
More Play, Less Pain
“In a culture that sometimes equates work with suffering, it is revolutionary to suggest that the best inward sign of vocation is deep gladness—revolutionary but true.” ~ Parker Palmer, The Courage to Teach
People prefer leisure to work—no surprise there. What is surprising is that they report more … [Read more...] about The Work Paradox:
More Play, Less Pain
Clash Points at Work:
Geeks and Geezers
Baby Boomers are lingering in the workplace. Economic uncertainty has caused many to remain on the job.
The younger Gen X and Gen Y are growing impatient to ascend to leadership responsibilities, and new graduates are knocking at HR’s door in record numbers.
Until we see the … [Read more...] about Clash Points at Work:
Geeks and Geezers
The 2nd Half of Your Career:
“Has Anyone Seen My Passion?”
“We hear a great deal of talk about the midlife crisis of the executive. It is mostly boredom.” ~ Peter Drucker, management expert
At some point in your career, you may sense a creeping malaise. You’re no longer enthusiastic about the day ahead. Perhaps you’re experiencing a mid-career crisis—the … [Read more...] about The 2nd Half of Your Career:
“Has Anyone Seen My Passion?”
Leadership Resilience: The Art of Bouncing Back
“Some of the most important and insightful learning is far more likely to come from failures than from success.” ~ Former Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley, interviewed in Harvard Business Review (April 2011) How we respond to failures and bounce back from our mistakes can make or break our … [Read more...] about Leadership Resilience: The Art of Bouncing Back
8 Strategies For Success: Build A Better Brain
You can build a better brain at any age. With the advent of fMRI brain scanning techniques, we now know that brains are continually learning and growing new neurons. Because of centuries of ignorance, however, many people view our brains as a mysterious structure incapable of change. We've been … [Read more...] about 8 Strategies For Success: Build A Better Brain