Leadership Articles

l. Get a facilitator. This is the traffic cop of the session, and should be an outsider. An insider brings baggage that can inhibit the free flow of ideas. HR consulting organizations are one possible resource; if you are working with a design firm like IDEO or Continuum, they may be able to help. If bringing in an outsider is difficult for some reason, the second best option is to bring in someone from a different group inside the company. Facilitators need to be skilled at

Two startling facts regarding issues absolutely impacting the bottom line of manufacturing companies in today’s challenging economy: 1. The Gallup organization, an international research company with a division that focuses on employee engagement and motivation, estimates $300 billion is wasted every year in lost productivity at U.S. companies due to un-motivated, dis-engaged employees.

Brick WallWould you like a way to get better ideas, faster? Would you like to nearly automatically tap into your subconscious brain to help you solve your vexing problems? Would you like a tool that would help your team think more clearly? What if I told you that tool was free, except for the five minutes of time you had to invest? But rather than thinking about it like a tool, I want you to think about it like a game – a game you play with yourself whenever you have a prob

It's the 21st century, and the Internet has somehow infiltrated every aspect of our existence. We challenge you to identify a niche in your life where the Internet is of absolutely no use. You'll probably find none! With such utmost necessity, it is indeed a blessing that the Internet is anything but inaccessible.

Multi-tasking, maintaining or increasing productivity and peak performance demands are at an all-time high. The result, stress and anxiety are also at an all-time high. Today's economic demands and their undesirable side effects are the same whether you are in accounting, marketing, manufacturing, the healthcare sector or retail. Maintaining and increasing productivity and performance are usually considered a leadership challenge, not an employee responsibility. In reality,

From my second floor bedroom, I look out at a massive 150 year-old eucalyptus tree that almost overpowers the expanse of the Pacific and the Channel Islands. Starlings, crows, doves, and woodpeckers dart among the withered arms of ancient oaks. My window opens with a rusted hand crank and a hand-hewed teak starburst looks down from the ceiling.

Our attention this week in the U.S. focuses on celebrating the life and accomplishments of noted civil rights leader, Dr. M.L. King, Jr. Dr. King positively led a movement in the midst of much adversity. What can you learn from him about how you can positively lead in business while experiencing adversity? Dr. King’s example gives us these 3 positive ways to lead in adversity: Expect Adversityr

I enjoyed some quiet time early one morning before the demands of my day started. All of a sudden, a bird began squawking just outside the window. At first I ignored it, but it loudly persisted so I got up. As I stepped out on the porch, I saw the bird squawking at Maybelle, our cat, who sat on the porch, staring off across the horse pasture. The bird bothered me, but not Maybelle. She sauntered over, giving me permission to pet her while the bird still screamed at us. But Maybelle didn’t mind. She knew the bird was there, but chose to ignore it and enjoy my petting.

Being the Boss, Being the BestrnThree Tips for Success! Carrie Stack, M.Ed.rnFounder, Say Yes InstituternTrainer/Coach Everyone wants to be an amazing boss, yet so few are. Why is that? You can ask group after group about a boss that had the “It” factor and they can easily identify what makes a fabulous boss- and what supervisors they have had in their lives that have made a tremendous impact on them. They can also name what makes a horrific boss, and the kind of manager

CEO DISEASE & MOTLEY FOOLS rnSince this publication may be read by many CEOs – “Chief Energizing Officers”–, I’ve chosen the above title for the article. The truth is: we all suffer from CEO disease and need motley fools. Feedback from motley fools is the breakfast of champions. I will explain. The CEO of a European company says: “I so often feel I’m not getting the truth. I can never put my finger on it, because no one is actually lying to me. But I can sense t

“The question actors most often get asked is how they can bear saying the same things over and over again night after night, but God knows the answer to that is, don’t we all anyway; might as well get paid for it.” –Elaine Dundy When the going gets tough the immediate reaction for most human ...

Eat Right and Feel Great! by Bennett Marks 8.3.05 For most of us, the biggest challenges to optimum health are exercise and nutrition, right? We all talk about the combination of these two and frequently make firm resolutions to eat right and workout, but are diet and physical activity really ...

Do any of these sound like you: Your organization has been downsized, "right-sized," capsized. Perhaps you’ve been merged, remerged, submerged. Every time you think you know the answers, they change the questions. Up is down and down is up. Perhaps you have the opposite challenge: your organization is growing so fast that it's hard to maintain the pace! Business change is a daily fact of life.

Charismatic leadership has a convincing power to inspire other people. It is a leader with its own unique charm to persuade his or her group. To be a charismatic leader, one should know how to identify the situation and step up for their team. After viewing some of what charismatic leadership means, let's try to look a few vital tricks you need to know to achieve their charm. First, develop a genuine interest in your subjects. To succeed as a charismatic leader, you need to d

This is the type of person who is often hugely entertaining and highly popular within the workplace, so he (or she) may seem an unlikely obstacle to your progress in implementing your strategies.

Have you ever been in the woods, walking on a trail? If so you know that while you see the trees in front of you it is hard to describe the whole forest. At that moment, the forest for you is the trees – because you just see the trees around you. Patterns, dimension and perspective are hard to recognize when all you see are . . . trees. Organizational culture is a bit like that. You go to work every day and just see the work. Over time you realize there are certain norms or

Many upcoming leaders have to struggle with the process of influencing others because we live in a culture and society that focuses on self worth rather than empowerment of others. In order to have a lasting legacy of communication, and strong leadership ability, you have to look into the process of learning how to empower other leaders and give them the same type of skill set that you possess. On the surface, this seems like a complicated task, but it's not that difficult if you follow a few steps.

Organizational Development is the implementation of a series of well-planned strategies aimed at system wide improvement. The term has become synonymous with change or process improvement generally in organizations that have a problem. However, if the ultimate goal is to maximize and maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization, organizational development should be treated as preventative maintenance for the organization as opposed to a tool used only when there is a problem.

We all know that we live in a time that is fast paced and things seem to be constantly changing. Today’s economy requires adaptability and the willingness to continuously learn and change course. Most young people entering the work-force do not expect to stay in one job with one company or even in one career track very long. The norm is to be looking for ways to make changes every 2-3 years as the way to advance. Given that, one might ask if the idea of mastery is relevant or

What makes the difference between an average presentation and one that rocks your world? What makes the difference between a memorable speech and one that fades into oblivion as soon as the presenter steps off the stage? The answer sits in four building blocks that are essential for crafting a ...

As the COVID-19 pandemic takes its toll on the economy, businesses are tweaking their strategies, resource management, and marketing tactics. Many industries like travel, tourism, hotels, entertainment, and other related sectors are freezing pay and hiring or carrying out massive layoffs. On the other side, several industries like e-commerce, education, logistics, and e-services are hiring in lots as people take their activities online to maintain social distancing. This has

Surely you have met them. I had in my office one guy who always seemed to know what is going to happen in the future for our company, our promotions, the market in which we operated, the fate of the government along with inflation rates. A wise guy you may call him but personally I felt extremely depressed whenever I met him in the office. I also had the misfortune of being called at the same party which was being thrown by my boss for some colleague's retirement.

You discovered your productivity trigger and transformed your first hour to be more productive. The third question to answer as you increase sales and achieve greater productivity so you leave the office earlier to do what you love with those you love is this: How do I limit technology’s intrusion on my productivity? Marilyn vos Savant says, “Working in an office with an array of electronic devices is like trying to get something done at home with half a dozen small children around. The calls for attention are constant.”

Some will call me terminally naive. I prefer visionary and practical. I’m uninterested in intellectual ruminations without practical application. I should explain. I am originally from Germany. Enough said.

This book review was provided by Joe Farcht , the Official Guide to Leadership Skills. Leadership Skills are the tools and traits acquired to facilitate guiding or a directing a group, most commonly toward a shared goal. nnJoe Farcht has identified Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time by Kevin Eikenberry as a valuable resource for people interested in leadership skills and it is avaialble through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble .nn B

There’s an ancient proverb that says, “When embarking on a journey, never ask directions from someone who has never left home.” That is the principle of mentoring. It’s someone who has left ‘home’ and is willing to help you on your journey while sharing the experiences of their own. I was ...

If you’re like me, you recognize that becoming an effective leader demands hard work and commitment. It requires more than just reading but actual “doing” and learning from your experiences. Sometimes when we are in the “doing” mode we forget some of what we have read and then realize after the dust settles that there was a different or additional technique that you should have tried. At times like this, I wish that I had a “pocket reminder” so that when it gets confusing I would have a simple guide to help me.

To become a great leader or even an average leader you have to develop the ability to lead yourself. Today I want to give you three important reasons how you can start leading yourself. Over the centuries people have looked to leaders to inspire them to do great things, but why do we follow leaders? #1 Lead By Example Yes, I know "lead by example" is a cliché, but it is the truth. As followers we want leaders to inspire us to do our best. We learn from a leader by their exa

How’s your New Year’s resolution working out? How would you like to SWAP your resolution for something more successful? Think of SWAP as an acronym and Work Positive to transform your chosen target of change into productive results using these three proven methods: S - Songr Resolutions fail because you lack a positive, consistent connection with your desire to change. How do you motivate yourself daily for success?

What is the single thing that prevents a woman from using her influence? Being a control freak? Being manipulative? Or being a bitch? No. That’s not it. It’s the fear of being seen as a control freak. The Fear of being seen as manipulative. OR The fear of being seen as a bitch. Fear is a conditioned response. According to Webster’s, it is the sensation of ‘expectation with alarm.’ That means we associate fear with emotional and physical sensations. Remember influencing th

I don't like the word discipline. I'll tell you why in a few moments. Discipline denotes that some behavior or action is unacceptable either in the work place or in your life. Left unchecked, the unacceptable behavior or action can escalate and cause very serious damage to relationships. ...

Before we can learn strategies for dealing with difficult people, we have to be able to understand who those people are and what causes them to be difficult. Some people, granted, seem to just live their lives as if they were out to 'pick a fight' with someone all the time. There are helpful strategies to deal with those. But those people actually are the minority. Most 'difficult people' are really just difficult circumstances -- or people who behave in such a way that it

Your Thirty Golden Minutes Would you like a new idea that could greatly impact your outlook, attitude, productivity and happiness? Would you be willing to make a change to your daily routine in order to increase your personal satisfaction and help you reach your goals faster than ever before? ...

Quotern‘Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.’ Eph 2:21 (NIV) True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself. - Henry Miller “Man is a feeble creature, to whom only submission and worship are becoming. Pride is insolence, and belief in human power is impiety” - Bertrand Russell “Keep always in your mind, that, with due submission to Providence, a man of genius has been seldom ruined but by himself”- Samuel Johnson Article of the week Article number: 11/2010/32

I’ve been contemplating much lately about what it means to be a heart-centered leader. The term “heart-centered” in the spiritual community has become somewhat of a cliché as it is now being used ever so frequently in mainstream business and life. Yet, we do not see much evidence that leaders truly are leading from this heart-center. So what is really going on here? Are we merely using this term to simply grandeur ourselves and look good? Or is there a deep desire to l

Most people who start their own business do so not because they are great managers. They do so, because they have some special skill, some special gift or talent and they believe they can market it and spend the rest of their lives doing what they love. Right? Well, not quite... Once their business starts generating sizeable revenues and shows some growth, they will usually need to hire some support staff to share the burden. After all, a business, not matter how small, has

"Successful leaders spend a lot of time creating the identity of the organization – what our values are, what our mission is, what our purpose is, how we are going to act together as one. Those are agreements of how we are going to be together. You can actually get a whole team or a whole group to hold one another accountable. The team self-regulates and members call each other in a much more immediate way than a leader can ever do." — Margaret Wheatley, President of The

Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend in most of the U.S. We “lose an hour” to supposedly gain more sunlight at the end of the day. So how do you deal with this lost hour? And all the other lost hours of productivity at work? Here are 3 Ways to Positively Gain Time: Prioritiesr Dr. Covey was fond of saying, “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

The Eco-Friendly Boxes are the basic need of today's modernized manufacturing industry because the customers are getting more conscious and aware of the environmental issues nowadays. Most of the buyers these days prefer to buy only those products that are packed in environment-friendly packaging and they also want to see their favorite brands adopting such policy regarding their product packaging.

One of the biggest confusions which rest in most peoples’ minds is that they can not understand the fine line of difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness. According to my experience, assertiveness comes from supreme self-confidence, knowledge about the subject and overall ...One of the biggest confusions which rest in most peoples’ minds is that they can not understand the fine line of difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness. According to my experience, assertiveness comes from supreme self-confidence, knowledge about the subject and overall self-reliance.

Increasing workplace productivity is one of the main aims of any business these days. The way to precisely undertake it faces a controversy, which many of us would want to have an answer to. Amongst the many kinds of approaches that can lead the workers towards the direction of increasing productivity is through making them understand the value of a successful business. They workforce must understand that progress and success will not be for the sole benefit of the corporatio

Well, the holiday season is upon us. Before you dole out a holiday bonus or send your assistant to fetch more knick-knacks, slogan-wear, or fruit baskets, you might think about what will be more meaningful to your employees. Based on our recent research, we learned that fulfillment was in short supply. Over 80% of employees sought more fulfillment in their lives. And because work was first or second in importance to fulfillment for most people—they spend 50% or more of thei

Five Love Affairs Leaders Should Have Caught up in the spirit of Valentine`s Day, that day we celebrate romantic love, I began thinking again about the connection between the words love and leadership. Before you even read about these five love affairs, you might be put off by using the word love in the context of your work. Don`t be. Am I just tossing in the word love to make nice alliteration and a connection to Valentine`s Day? Definitely not. The best leaders bring more t

Here are two simple facts of life: 1. People make mistakes 2. Things go wrong If you manage a team and you don't think they're making mistakes and you don't think anything is going wrong, you're deluding yourself. They're just not telling you. In any significant job, project or task, things are going to go wrong, problems are going to arise. They may be things which could have been anticipated or they may be completely out of the blue, unexpected snags which no-one could have foreseen. Of course, you hope to minimise these things, but they will happen.

"When we are dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bustling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity." — Dale Carnegie, personal effectiveness pioneer and author In many organizations (especially those with morale or motivation problems), management has created a sterile and passionless culture. Their strategies, budgets, and business plans are cold and lifeless. So teams

In the last few months, our team has run up a steep learning curve in developing a new product line and the means to administer it. We’ve experienced a great deal of change and discovered as we’ve run this race that exceptional customer care is an integral part of a successful process. Here are 3 characteristics of exceptional customer care we experienced that created “raving fans” out of us. Ask Great Questionsr

The wheel of time is readying women to lead the world. After being demeaned and relegated to a downtrodden state for centuries together she now has got the opportunity to identify and use her basic human rights. The result was witnessed akin to gas present underground which springs forth when a hole is drilled. Conjoined to the wheel of time is transformation too. The more one uses pressure to help sink a wooden stick or rubber ball in water the more it comes up with greater

The workplace is like a second home, and the people there are like a second family. After all, you spend half of your days with them in the office. Though it may be a functional and loving family, it’s bound to have some conflicts once in a while. This is a normal occurrence in any group of people which works closely. That being said, it’s still not very nice or productive to have conflict in the workplace. It slows everyone down, creates tension, and puts the off

Empathy is the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes. This exercise of imagination and emotion triggered lots of memories from my personal career last Friday, in the first day of the Coaching Summer School 2012. Alan Seale, transformational coach, asked the participants to bring on some challenges and his promise was that we could work on them if we get to feel the client's energy from his own shoes.