Are you a manager, or a leader? Is there a distinction, or are the terms one and the same? Why does it matter? Employees’ impressions of their administrators can spark or sink both parties’ careers. It’s therefore important to recognize the conspicuous and more nuanced differences and similarities … [Read more...] about Are You a Manager, or a Leader?
leadership development
Leading Beyond Your Authority
In today’s complex and dotted-line organizational culture, your job frequently requires buy-in from people outside your direct authority. Influencing people who report to someone else can prove daunting—and an even greater challenge if you confuse the principles of leadership and authority. (They’re … [Read more...] about Leading Beyond Your Authority
Overcoming Adversity:
3 Steps Great Leaders Take
As a leader, how effective are you in overcoming adversity?
How a leader responds to adversity reveals how effective that leader is. Reactions to setbacks or crises not only test leadership character, they define it.
Some difficulties are devastating, and unfortunately, they are compounded by … [Read more...] about Overcoming Adversity:
3 Steps Great Leaders Take
The Paradox of Leadership Give and Take
When it comes to leadership give and take, are you a "taker," or a "giver?" Western leaders have been conditioned for generations to believe that the way to advance is to claim as much as possible, to take more than you give. Many leaders make personal gain the objective of business life, and … [Read more...] about The Paradox of Leadership Give and Take
The Failure of “Good-Enough” Cultures
In organizations with “good-enough” cultures, billions of dollars are wasted each year by leaders and staff who compromise on standards. Such leaders endanger themselves and their careers by permitting a “good-enough” mentality. Fortunately, this danger of mediocrity has a remedy. “Only the … [Read more...] about The Failure of “Good-Enough” Cultures
The Dangers of Ego in Leadership
Nothing can be more debilitating in an organization than a leader with an ego. If you work for a leader driven by ego, your ability to cope can be pushed to the limit. In organizations, leaders with out-of-control egos are responsible for huge losses in productivity and profits. In today’s … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Ego in Leadership
The Risks of Working for a People Pleasing Leader
Working for someone who is a people-pleaser may seem fairly innocuous or even desirable, but such leaders pose daunting challenges for their organizations. If you work for a people-pleaser, you most likely see the inherent problems and confess to seeking ways to maneuver around … [Read more...] about The Risks of Working for a People Pleasing Leader
Leadership Challenges: Fear of Failure
Of all the challenges leaders face, none is more pervasive yet hidden than fear of failure. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy Leadership is a tough job that requires courage. Doubts, insecurities and fears make organizational challenges more … [Read more...] about Leadership Challenges: Fear of Failure
Finding Future Leaders: Why Personality Matters
Given the financial and societal impact of global business, there’s an urgent need to understand leaders’ personalities. If we fail to appreciate how personality influences leaders’ strategic decisions, we risk selecting leaders who are incapable of setting an organization’s direction. We are in … [Read more...] about Finding Future Leaders: Why Personality Matters
Lopsided Leadership: When Strengths Fail
In the last decade, leadership development experts have enthusiastically pushed to improve their clients’ strengths instead of addressing their weaknesses. This approach may have some success in growing individuals’ effectiveness, but it’s fundamentally flawed. Strengths training and coaching have … [Read more...] about Lopsided Leadership: When Strengths Fail