Management
Say “thank you” to mistakes
As a leader, what’s your first reaction when someone comes to you and tells you they made a mistake? While you may or may...
Leadership
Management
How can we connect people when they don’t work in the same office?
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship...
Management
The first 90 days: Getting off on the right foot
“Joining a new company is akin to an organ transplant — and you’re the new organ. If you’re not thoughtful in adapting to the...
Leadership
There goes that trust thing again
“I just don’t trust him.” So said a senior leader of a peer recently during interviews I conducted to learn more about their organization’s...
Management
“Fifty Bits” and the optimism of rethinking how people choose
When you hear why “The Power of Fifty Bits” is titled such as it is, you may think, “That sounds pessimistic.” After all, the...
Leadership
Leading change
Telecommuting, gig work and Big Data are just some of the trends changing the workplace. Here’s how to adapt and lead in the new...
Management
Transforming culture
How do you foster a healthy corporate culture? CEO Skip Prichard offers six keys for creating a people-centered culture that drives success. ***** This...
Inspiration
Feelings at work: 3 reasons why you should care
Credit: Pixabay Squirrels love our backyard. Our large apple tree is a miracle of productivity. Each spring the trunk transforms nutrients under the ground...
Communication
When is a presentation not a presentation? When it is a PowerPoint
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “presentation?” If you’re like many business leaders, it’s probably “PowerPoint.” The...
Management
The trouble with being SMART
Worldwide, managers are setting SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely) goals, expecting these to make this “the year” to revitalize or transform their...
Communication
Learn the invaluable trick great leaders use to manage difficult conversations
Difficult conversations are unavoidable, but it's sometimes tough to know where to begin.
Communication
These are the rules of smart presentations
This post is adapted from “The Big Fish Experience” (January 2016, McGraw-Hill Education), which details the Big Fish Presentations creative process. Kenny Nguyen, one...
Leadership
The importance of leadership intangibles for valuation
This post is excerpted with permission of the publisher, Berrett-Koehler, from “The Leadership Capital Index: Realizing the Market Value of Leadership” by Dave Ulrich. Copyright (c) 2015 by Dave...
Management
“Pop-ups”: A promising model for development
Credit: Pixabay Have you noticed the recent trend toward “pop-up” establishments? Over the holidays, I shopped in pop-up stores and ate in pop-up restaurants,...
Leadership
What is one unusual element of your onboarding process?
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship...
Management
Being an abundant mentor
Recently, I wrote two posts relating to mentoring and abundance theory, respectively. The first article focused on distinguishing between mentors and supervisors and the...
Management
The downside of leaders who care too much
Most people want to work for a caring boss. Not only is it more enjoyable, it’s good for your health, according to research by...
Careers
4 practices to help you persevere
A number of leaders I know are beginning 2016 facing extremely challenging business and/or personal situations. I want to encourage them to keep moving...
Management
Using your EQ to make your team stronger
IQ gets you hired. EQ gets you promoted. This HR adage has been around sometime and while certainly valid, it does not address the...
Productivity
Happiness: The key to productivity
Happiness. What does it mean to be happy? And why should executives care? Businesses should care because workers who aren’t happy aren’t working hard....
Careers
4 steps to successfully navigate career change
As I finished reading a recent article in The Guardian about the changing nature of our careers, I leaned back in my chair and...
Small Business
Vision vs. conceit
Each month, When Growth Stalls examines why businesses and brands struggle and how they can overcome their obstacles and resume growth. Steve McKee is...
Strategy
The value of business design thinking
How thinking better and differently can be taught and learned to maximize and enhance an organization’s performance Business design thinking can not only transform...
Small Business
Clients should align with your company’s mission statement
A company’s mission statement should influence every move it makes, including what clients or customers it takes on. Serving clients who don’t align with...
Management
Leadership intentions: The key to shaping a new paradigm
In 2002, when I took my first corporate leadership role, one of the wiser and more mature credit analysts in my department said that...
Leadership
Do you have a reliable “right-hand person” on your team?
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 210,000 business leaders. We run the poll...
Communication
Being right isn’t always the goal
“The more we can get together and talk about various perspectives, feelings, beliefs, the better.” ~ William P. Leahy In his book “The Seven...
Leadership
The Shopping Centers of the Future
Gerry Wright This post is sponsored by RPAI. Retailers are always looking for ways to draw in customers, and having the right location and...
Management
Leadership resolutions that can transform your company
I had the privilege of attending a client holiday party last week that didn’t turn out as I expected. Like most office parties, there...
Careers
New Year’s development goals for leaders: 2016 edition
For many of us, making and breaking promises to ourselves for the New Year has become an annual tradition. We say we’re going to...
Management
How do you give regular feedback even as your company grows?
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship...
Inspiration
Creating a pocket of excellence when you aren’t the CEO
I’ve been speaking, coaching, and writing about how leaders can build high-performing, values-aligned cultures for over 25 years. My proven framework helps leaders create...
Management
Your sacrifices can lead to increased happiness
It sometimes seems like the high achievers in business are superheroes. They have stellar work records, amazing families, healthy bodies and still have time...
Communication
The social psychology behind ignored climate change warnings and recommendations for business leaders
Water surges over the seawalls of lower Manhattan, businesses are inundated with up to 4 feet of water, and the subway tunnels coursing under...
Leadership
What SmartBlog on Leadership’s top posts of 2015 tell us
What did you, our readers, most enjoy from SmartBlog on Leadership in 2015, and how does it compare with our most-clicked links in our...
Inspiration
Become a serving leader
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” When it comes to leadership, this familiar proverb may be one of the least believed...
Communication
Creative talks any presenter can learn from
When thinking of ways to blow your audience away, make sure you can actually execute your ideas. Practice everything in real-time to ensure success...
Leadership
Stop using “work-life balance” and start using “work-life integration”
There’s a “grass is always greener” fallacy in business that can result in looking at people in other sectors and feeling envious of their...
Leadership
How to build a digital transformation dream team
Digital transformation is at the top of many organizations’ to-do lists. It is a lofty, and necessary, objective, but like any process of true...
Leadership
How to Handle a Potential Bed Bug Infestation at Your Property
Paul Curtis This post is sponsored by Terminix. Paul Curtis, a board-certified entomologist, is the manager of technical and regulatory services at Terminix’s commercial...
Inspiration
How great leaders balance execution and empathy
They’re caring. They also get $tuff done. It’s often the great debate of what defines an exceptional executive, the discussion of EQ (emotional intelligence)...
Management
The promise of high-ownership teams
I attended a conference in Southern California last week just after the San Bernardino massacre. I couldn’t help but notice the hosts and hostesses...