“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” ~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things … [Read more...] about Mastering Leadership Psychology
Leadership
The Rampant Rise of Rudeness
“These may not be the best of times, and these may not be the worst of times, but for sheer rudeness, these times beat the dickens out of most times.” ~ Roger McElvey, “Mr. Manners,” Men’s Health, May 1995 While there are plenty of leadership development programs that propose social and emotional … [Read more...] about The Rampant Rise of Rudeness
The Magic of Mentoring
When people think of mentoring, they often associate it with an older executive who counsels a promising newbie. The senior leader advises the junior employee on his career, navigating office politics and what's needed to get ahead. But mentoring has dramatically changed over the last few … [Read more...] about The Magic of Mentoring
How To Make Great Leadership Decisions
The normal state of your mind is that you have intuitive feelings and opinions about almost everything that comes your way. ~ Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize laureate in economics We are quick to pass judgment and make snap decisions. The smarter and more educated we are, the more overconfident we are … [Read more...] about How To Make Great Leadership Decisions
Brain Fitness for Leaders
We've known for some time that leaders require higher levels of emotional intelligence as they pursue career advancement. There's now accumulating evidence that cognitive fitness is becoming a focal area for high-achieving leaders. Until recently, busy executives could find few guidelines for … [Read more...] about Brain Fitness for Leaders
The Leadership Trust Deficit
Employees want consistency between their leaders’ words and actions. But only 11 percent strongly agree that their managers “walk the talk,” a 2011 Maritz poll reveals. Fairly or unfairly, leaders’ behaviors are magnified and weighted, including their values, work ethics, integrity and perceived … [Read more...] about The Leadership Trust Deficit
Let Me Tell You a Story
Let Me Tell You a Story... Do you know people who can masterfully tell the right story at the right time? Quite often, the best storytellers become our managers and leaders. Even if you have no designs on becoming a CEO or leading a division, you undoubtedly crave more control over your work, … [Read more...] about Let Me Tell You a Story
Genius or Genius-Maker?
How Smart Leaders Bring Out the Best in People
Do you work for a genius? Are your organization’s leaders really smart, and do they focus on bringing out the best in other people?
Some corporations have made hiring the most intelligent individuals a core strategy on the basis that smarter people can solve problems more quickly than the … [Read more...] about Genius or Genius-Maker?
How Smart Leaders Bring Out the Best in People
The End of Bad Leadership
Leaders everywhere are in disrepute. Hardly a day goes by without news of corporate ethical violations, financial fudging and CEO failures. Yet, compensation packages and bonuses continue unabated, even when disgraced leaders are sent packing. (photo courtesy freedigitalphotos.net) Harvard Business … [Read more...] about The End of Bad Leadership
Radical Times Call for
Visionary Leadership
Strong visionary, even narcissistic leadership is required for driving business success in this 21st century. Like it or not, we are in the midst of great social, economic and political upheaval. The way we live and work has changed tremendously in the last 10 years, and it’s likely to be radically … [Read more...] about Radical Times Call for
Visionary Leadership