Communication
The 4 presentation attributes every leader needs
‘The Leadership Challenge” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner shared the findings of extensive research that surveyed thousands of people asking, “What...
Leadership
Management
Why opposing viewpoints should be more important than cultural diversity
Diversity in company culture makes organizations better, period. Studies and feedback on some of the top work environments support this, and companies with any...
Communication
The art of the sound bite
Anyone who is seeking to persuade, negotiate, or sell something is wise to learn the art of the sound bite.
Inspiration
The new one-minute manager
Catch them doing something right. In today’s busy work environment, we’re all wearing multiple hats and moving at the speed of sound. It’s easy...
Management
What’s a connection culture, and how do we get there?
A new book comes up with a better definition of what a winning culture needs.
Strategy
Fixing income inequality in the workplace
Income inequality is a divisive issue in our political climate, bolstered in no small part by lingering tensions from the 2008 financial crisis, a...
Leadership
How important is a SWOT analysis in your strategic planning efforts?
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. We run the poll...
Communication
Running scared when failure occurs
I spend many, many hours watching the NBA playoffs each spring. The first round is, in many ways, my favorite: up to four games...
Management
“Leading Up”: Being a values-based leader at any level
Without question, what happens at the top — priorities established, strategies set or changed — cascades throughout the entire organization. How can it be...
Leadership
Advisory boards: The when, why and how
Boards of advisers are an effective tool that can serve companies and nonprofits as a compliment to a board of directors or in its place.
Careers
New managers as leaders: Closing the skills gap
Today’s business world is fast-paced and complex. Opportunities emerge quickly (and disappear rapidly), new threats emerge continuously, and globalization opens up new markets that...
Management
The secret of U2’s success
This post is an excerpt from “Connection Culture” (April 2015, Association for Talent Development) by Michael Lee Stallard Jason Pankau and Katharine P. Stallard,...
Communication
Moving up the value chain of public speaking: Expert, interpreter or catalyst?
What’s your goal when you step up to speak? Winning that next big piece of business, getting that hard-earned promotion, or becoming known as...
Leadership
The best approach might be counterintuitive
Ahh, spring! The changing season brings fresh growth, bright colors and baby foxes and deer to our Rocky Mountain meadows — and major golf...
Leadership
How much professional reading do you do each month?
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. We run the poll...
Inspiration
4 ways “good enough” motivates employees for greater growth
Last month, I worked with a manager who was eager to develop her staff, but was overwhelmed by her senior management’s charge to accelerate...
Management
12 ways to develop leadership confidence
I was in a talent review meeting recently, and we were discussing the strengths and development needs of a promising young leader. When I...
Communication
Your employees don’t get you. Here’s why
On the television show “The Office,” Steve Carell played a hilariously bad boss, whose total incompetence did nothing to undermine his belief that in...
Management
15 tips for managing remote workers
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that...
Management
The 3 levels of organizational alignment (and how to build them in your company)
Over 75 years ago, Chester Barnard published a landmark book called “The Functions of the Executive.” In it, he makes a key observation: “Successful...
Leadership
How effectively do you resolve conflict with others?
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. We run the poll...
Communication
Is your trust factor slipping? 5 tips to increase employee trust
Trust is a key element in all human interactions. Nowhere is it more important than in a work environment. Yet, often leaders pay little...
Inspiration
Why leadership capacity is not the goal
Growing leaders grow organizations! This is something I’ve talked about and written about for many years, but my emphasis has been almost exclusively on...
Leadership
13 qualities that make for a great COO
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that...
Communication
Quell the fear factor
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” — H....
Careers
3 ways leaders can help employees attract a sponsor
“Now, remember, Ben likes to shake things up; don’t be afraid to stand up to him.” This was my boss, Eric, coaching me on...
Management
The leadership lessons from the Secret Service’s struggles — an interview with author and journalist Ronald Kessler
The continued struggles of the Secret Service are a series of failures and performance lapses that have gone on for several years. One person,...
Management
The risky business of leadership development
Business success today demands careful attention to risk management. Contingency plans, redundant systems, business continuity insurance, and countless other vehicles protect organizations from the...
Communication
Lines of communication and collaboration
This post is reprinted, with permission, from the book “The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million...
Communication
Don’t leave home without (fixing) this
The following is an edited excerpt from the paperback edition of “Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone,” (March 2015)...
Small Business
Why now is the time to start planning your exit strategy
Thinking about the end is never fun. Neither is planning for it. So it makes sense that business leaders would avoid planning for the...
Management
The best part of leading
Leadership is hard work. It takes making accurate decisions based often on inaccurate or incomplete data. It requires bringing about change and contending with...
Management
13 time-saving tips for continuous self-education
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that...
Leadership
Pope Francis and the discipline to win the long game
This article was adapted from “Winning the Long Game: How Strategic Leaders Shape the Future” by Steven Krupp and Paul J.H. Schoemaker. Krupp is...
Communication
5 public speaking lessons from Frank Underwood of “House of Cards”
Netflix recently released the third season of its original production “House of Cards.” This critically acclaimed political drama is the story of Frank Underwood,...
Leadership
How to create a healthy workplace culture
When we think about the makeup of a workplace, tangible aspects often come to mind: location, office space, number of employees, revenue. However, certain...
Management
8 meeting commandants that we all need to follow
Designed by Freepik We all like to complain about meetings. Meetings are a waste of time, boring, inefficient, run too long, nothing gets accomplished,...
Inspiration
13 ways to re-energize your team
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that...
Inspiration
The performance-values conundrum
Leading others effectively is a balancing act. A leader is charged with getting work done through others while maintaining decorum and possibly even creating...
Leadership
Evolve, not eliminate: Dos and don’ts of pivoting a company
There are many reasons why executives decide to pivot their companies, but the biggest one is by listening to customers and responding to their...
Inspiration
The high-potential ultimatum
These days you can’t go a week without hearing about the virtues of flexible schedules. They greatly reduce absenteeism and environmental impact, and spur...
Communication
Doubt: The kryptonite of public speaking
Everyone knows Superman’s great weakness: Kryptonite. It’s the one thing that’s guaranteed to suck away his strength and destroy his power. As public speakers,...