We need a better way to evaluate our business leaders, assert James O’Toole and Warren Bennis in a recent Harvard Business Review article (“A Culture of Candor,” June 2009). It’s no longer prudent to judge American corporate leaders’ performance solely on the extent to which they create wealth for … [Read more...] about What’s Needed Next? Transparency & Trust
Search Results for: leadership success
8 Keys to Picking the Right Coach
“There’s no question that future leaders will need constant coaching,” notes Ram Charan, author of Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty (McGraw-Hill, 2008). “As the business environment becomes more complex, they will increasingly turn to coaches for help in understanding how to … [Read more...] about 8 Keys to Picking the Right Coach
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
The Art of Positive Emotions: What is Your Attribution Style?
Everyone knows that when people feel good, they work better, are more creative and more productive. The ability to inspire positive feelings in others is a key leadership quality. Good feelings are like lubrication to the brain - mental efficiency goes up, memory is sharpened, people can … [Read more...] about The Art of Positive Emotions: What is Your Attribution Style?
Office Politics: Survival of the Savvy
Political savvy is a vital competence for any executive, but it’s not taught in leadership or grad school courses. In fact, the term “office politics” has received a bad rap. (Words like “Machiavellian,” “manipulative” and “conspiratorial” come to mind.) Tales of political sabotage, power plays … [Read more...] about Office Politics: Survival of the Savvy
Survival of the Fittest: Feedback is not for Sissies
"It is not the most intelligent of the species that survive the longest, it is the most adaptable." -- Charles Darwin In order to be persistently successful, people and organizations need to adapt continually to their environment. This requires information from the environment. The more open … [Read more...] about Survival of the Fittest: Feedback is not for Sissies
Follow the Leader? It’s a new game!
"Leaders rarely use their power wisely or effectively over long periods unless they are supported by followers who have the stature to help them do so." - Ira Chaleff, The Courageous Follower, 2003 Organizations are successful or not partly on the basis of how well their leaders lead, but also … [Read more...] about Follow the Leader? It’s a new game!
Creating an Execution Culture – A Leader’s Most Important Job
“Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today. Its absence is the single biggest obstacle to success and the cause of most of the disappointments that are mistakenly attributed to other causes.” ― Ram Charan, author of What the CEO Wants You to Know and Boards that … [Read more...] about Creating an Execution Culture – A Leader’s Most Important Job
Are You Ready for the Future?
Is your organization looking forward, or is it focused on the problems of the present and immediate short-term competition? Will your organization create new rules of competition in the future? Is it imagining new ways of doing business, building new capabilities, and setting new standards of … [Read more...] about Are You Ready for the Future?
Understanding Executive Failure
CEOs are now lasting just 7.6 years in office on a global average, down from 9.5 years in 1995, according to consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. Two out of every five new CEOs fail in the first 18 months (HBR, January 2005). Recent corporate scandals and bankruptcies reveal that some CEOs fail … [Read more...] about Understanding Executive Failure