In so many ways, being a leader is a labor of love. Leaders have the privilege of sharing good news, but also the responsibility of delivering bad news. Leaders work to bring out the best in their employees and watch them flourish, but also mourn when they decide to move on to other opportunities. And when times are tough, they have to put on a brave face and inspire everyone to charge ahead even when they disagree with the battle plan. In today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) business world, it’s easy to lose your way. After you’ve been … Read More
Be Contagious
Take a moment to reflect on last week. What were the high points? What were the low moments? How did you handle every day challenges? How did you interact with your team? What message did you convey? We already know that individuals who display good leadership skills have more engaged employees with lower turnover. There’s also a commonly held belief that leadership is contagious. When you display strong, decisive, inspirational leadership, others around you will also begin to display those same behaviors. Research shows there is a trickle-down effect of leadership behaviors.
Five Great Podcasts for Leaders
A few weeks ago, we shared six of our favorite TED Talks and we received such positive feedback from our readers, that we thought it would be helpful to share some of our favorite podcasts as well. If you don’t currently listen to podcasts, you are missing out on some great thoughts and conversations being shared on this unique platform. Podcasting is a popular choice by thought-leaders because, unlike blogs, they lend themselves to story-telling and conversations between multiple parties. They’re inexpensive to create and easy to share. Listeners enjoy podcasts because they can stay up to date on the … Read More
Leadership Trends in 2016
As we look forward to the changing face of the workforce in 2016, it’s a great time to make a few predictions and think strategically about how we can prepare for the biggest changes we should expect. Millennials take over. As Baby Boomers are now retiring at a rate of one every four seconds, there’s a mathematical equation that must be solved. There just aren’t enough Gen X high potentials in the leadership pipeline to solve the leadership gap being created by the Baby Boomer exodus. Millennials, born entrepreneurs, are anxious to take on those vacant leadership roles and are … Read More
TED Talks Every Leader Should Watch
When you need a little inspiration or something to challenge the way you think, a great place to spend some time is on TED.com. TED Talks are short speeches given by thought leaders, influencers, entertainers, business executives, academics, political leaders, authors, etc., with the responsibility of delivering “Ideas Worth Sharing.” As a leader, viewing talks from psychologists, business leaders, and authors can be very important as new research shows unique insights into the way people work. What motivates us? What are our common needs? How can I be the best version of myself today?
Consciously Avoiding Unconscious Bias in Performance Reviews
As the end of the year draws near, many of us are engaged in the daunting task of creating performance appraisals for our team members. Few people enjoy filling out performance reviews, and even more find the process unproductive. Yet, in most organizations, it is a required management activity and it determines which employees are penalized or rewarded for their work. Raises and promotions are often tied to performance reviews, so it’s important managers are committed to creating an accurate portrayal of their team member’s work.