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
Leadership
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
Executive Engagement: Managing Energy With Stories
“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