Leadership Articles

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No matter what survey you study, when it comes to training happening it today’s organizations there is one constant…the focus on leadership development. Leadership training tops almost any list you review. But why is this? Interviews with clients across the United States and North America ...

"At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done – then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries before." — Frances Hodgson Burnett, 19th century American writer Thomas Kuhn, the noted American professor of the philosophy and history of science, is best known for his work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which sold over 1 million copies in 16 lan

"We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon." — Konrad Adenauer, first chancellor of post war West Germany Like mission and vision statements and values, goal setting and visioning labels often get confused and used interchangeably. Generally that doesn't matter. As long as the people on our teams and in our organizations are clear and consistent with their meanings and approaches, we shouldn't get hung up on definitions and jargon. But many peop

A common complaint is about employees who repeatedly fail to follow through on specifically requested tasks. The reason for the lack of follow through is often something like “not enough time, couldn’t get to it.” I cringe when I hear business leaders admit they begrudgingly continue to “accept” this excuse. (Accept is in quotations because they don't really accept it, they became frustrated with it and want it to change as the status quo is unacceptable and negatively impacts on business results.)

The Definition of LeadershipnnLeadership has been called "The ability to get followers." One of the deepest cravings of human nature is the need to feel important, to have a sense of meaning and purpose in life and work. Leaders are invariably those who can tap into the deeper emotions of others and get them to rise above and beyond anything they may have accomplished in the past.nn Inspiring Words Lead to Victory nWinston Churchill was able to arouse and inspire an entire na

The major activity in college athletics last week saw universities realigning their conference relationships. It’s a growth industry in a down economy and they’re seizing financial opportunities that emerge from positive associations with high fan-base institutions. The PAC-12’s announcement to “hold” was in stark contrast to this auction-like attitude. Commissioner Larry Scott said, “…we are going to focus solely on [our] great assets, our strong heritage, and the bright future in front of us.” http://tinyurl.com/3rjhv5l There’s a lesson here for all of our businesses.

Does a coach need good leadership skills? Do they need to know more about the sport than their competitor? Do they need to have more talented players than their competitor? I suppose if a coach had all three they would be more likely to be successful, but if I had my choice of the three listed above it would be to have good leadership skills. I know that the second two have been tried before by multiple teams and without fail they do not win the championship trophies. In fact, most of the time they don't even get into the final running!

While members of Congress talk about improving the workplace for employees, the actions of many indicate that they are far more interested in serving the interests of either management or unions than they are in securing better conditions for workers. Unless this attitude changes quickly, employees are likely to become collateral damage in the on-going tug of war between labor and management. Here are nine ways managers can help workers mitigate or avoid such a fate. 1. Infor

When firestorms raged across Southern Califo ia and land lines were down, having a cell phone to call my family was a blessing. When I could sit in my ocean front garden and use both hands while talking to my Mother in Florida, I adored my cell phone. After getting lost in a jumble of ...

Remember those powerful words from "The Secret"? It's so true. What you think about expands and manifests. Those thoughts get bigger and dictate what is attracted into your work and life. What are you thinking about right now? The Law of Attraction - or “The Secret” - states that "whatever ...

“When society requires to be rebuilt, there is no use in attempting to rebuild it on the old plan. No great improvements in the lot of mankind are possible, until a great change takes place in the fundamental constitution of their modes of thought.”rnJohn Stuart Mill If you look at our culture, at the world in which we have grown up, the predominant paradigm is that parents know and children don’t, and it’s the job of parents to teach the uneducated child what it need

A good local government manager recognizes managing a city or county organization is no different than managing a business in the private sector. The aim is to maximize the utilization of resources, both revenue and people, to accomplish the goals of the community as efficiently and effectively as possible. A successful manager recognizes ongoing planning, strategic and long range planning as well as operational planning, is necessary to the efficient and effective delivery of quality services over the long term.

“Wealth is the product of a person’s capacity to think.” Ayn Rand Do you remember the “good old days”? At least it seemed as if our parents’ or grandparents’ lives were so much easier. Those were the days when life seemed to work in a straightforward, linear fashion. You went to school. You ...

Changing roles from employee to leader can be fun and very rewarding. It usually brings about more pay, more responsibility, and prestige. But it can also bring about some potential pitfalls as well. Here are 3 areas you can anticipate in advance as potential problems. First of all, many of ...

Have you ever thought about what makes a leader successful? There are countless and varied stories of how people rose to prominence as leaders, but I believe they all had at least one thing in common – they lead from the inside out.

The world has never seen a great leader in the world or in business who has lacked commitment. If you want to be an effective leader, you have to be committed. Why? True commitment will attract and inspire people. They are attracted to your conviction. To lead others you have to believe you must believe in your cause before they will buy into you. People buy into a leader and then a vision. In my experience in business and life, sometimes the vision comes first. If people buy

“We have it in our power to begin the world all over again. A situation similar to the present hath not appeared since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand.”—Thomas Paine There are all kinds of cycles. In looking up the term “economic cycles” I found the ...

At times we allow the negative noise of the flat economy to drown out any positive, on-key music in our businesses. Soon the negative noise has an effect on you. You become filled with: Fears about finances—“The bank called. Surely they’re not calling in my note.” Suspicions about an employee—“He sure talks about our competition a lot.” Mistrust of a vendor—“She says she’s doing me a special favor with this contract, but…” What’s a business owner to do?

I am not a big fan of job titles. We have had some staff additions and changes in the last couple of months and one of the most frequent questions has bee “What’s their new title?” Frankly I do not care! I am fine with people picking their own title and would rather spend my time concentrating on the work we need to get done. I suppose my dislike of titles has to do with one of my philosophies of work. I think when an organization has a vision, operates as a team, and strate

Because of thunder storms in Atlanta, the flight from Dallas to Atlanta had been delayed twice. On the third attempt, we were boarding and I felt hopeful of actually getting off the ground. My hopes faded fast when the tired-looking flight attendant came down the aisle quietly announcing that if we were not permitted to take off in the next 15 minutes, the crew would have exceeded their 16-hour work day and we would have to taxi back to the terminal and await another flight.

Let me ask you a simple question – what is the difference between a manager and a coach? I like to watch football on TV (or soccer, as my American friends call it) and for years, in the UK; we have always described the person in charge of the team as the ‘Manager.’ In the US and other parts of the world, the person running the team, be it football, baseball or basketball, is usually referred to as the ‘Coach’ However, I’ve noticed now, in the UK, that the football Manager is

Emerging leaders can have all the technical skill, educational background, and hands-on job experience to qualify them on paper as the outstanding candidate for a promotion. But resumes don’t run companies, people who can handle pressure with grace and show an exemplary positive attitude do. Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t easy for those who hold on to the heavy baggage of a bad attitude. To be identified as a “high potential” employee on the succession planning short list you have to have the right attitude.

How would you describe yourself as a leader – a strong leader, a weak leader, or a mediocre one? Every person is a leader by himself – but with varying degrees of leadership qualities. Some characteristics may be predominantly present in the person while some others may be missing. If you expect your team to work hard and succeed, you will have to set an example and be a role model. Prove yourself and show your commitment and you will discover that you will not only earn the

Leadership is an idea usually applied to business, sports, military strength and political challenges. Often when the word is spoken we think of leadership as bold, strong, sacrificial, also visionary, productive, able to move others. Some of us are stuck with an ‘old’ definition of leadership under which we suffered. This is “my way or the highway” style of leadership or the “don’t let the door hit you in the butt as you leave” leadership. There are leaders who accomplished

This month in the Wall Street journal there was an intriguing and somewhat unsettling article, “Coaching Urged for Women.” The piece revealed that according to a new McKinsey & Company report “inadequate career development holds back female executives.” The report examined the kinds of career advancement barriers that women executives who hold management positions in large organizations now face.

It is possible you could take longer than 90 minutes, and you could perhaps spend a bit less time, but if you will look at your calendar for New Year’s Eve and give yourself 90 minutes to do what follows, you will be very glad you did (and it will give you one more reason to celebrate).rnFind a quiet comfortable place to do this activity. You will need a pad of paper and something to write with. You might want your calendar and a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage. You

The field of psychology is vast, with different types of psychologists working in various areas to solve behavioral and mental health problems. If you exhibit conditions like stress and anxiety, intense grief, uncontrollable anger, and depression, you might need the help of a psychologist. This post explains different kinds of psychologists, and ways they can help you. Categories of Psychologists If you doubt the fields in psychology today, you will receive clarity as we share a few subdivisions of this profession and tell you their usefulness to society.

I find it disheartening to see people who, when faced with life’s battles, decide to give up and retreat when I know that despite all that is happening, no matter how painful it feels, they can prevail. When confronted with the toughest moments in your life, you can’t afford to succumb to fear, ...

You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want. Zig Ziglar In a financially-strapped economy like this one, a common response to suggestions to grow business is negative. “I can’t afford to advertise.” “I have to cut marketing expenses.” We focus on what we can’t do. Will that grow your business? What would it cost you to follow Zig Ziglar’s advice to positively grow your business? Here are 3 no-cost ways to positively grow your business by helping others get what they want: Greet with a Welcoming Smiler

A good deal of my time and effort is devoted to thinking about leadership and teams. It is always fun to find great examples of exceptional groups and to understand how they became that way. Lately I’ve been reading about pirates and how they organized themselves. At first that might seem odd, ...

We are living in a tough working market, where unemployment rates are creeping up to all time highs. Many people have found their positions cut, companies once strong in the market are now closing their doors; others are beginning to get nervous and their fear levels are rising. People are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, trying to reinvent themselves in a down job market. So, how do you separate yourself from the pack? What can you do to increase your personal value? What do you have control over? When the budgets get cut, you don’t want to be the one eliminated.

If your employees were given the opportunity to fire you, how soon will you be out the door? I think that is a food for thought. I believe before you finish reading this article, you will be able to answer that question. The ability to lead effectively and harmoniously harness your employee's strengths and abilities to become better people makes you an excellent boss. Remember, bad bosses aren’t good for anyone’s health. Today’s managers must be self-aware, observant, a

Wow. It’s amazing the impact that one person can have. It’s easy to forget how powerful we all are. Single-handedly, we can take an entire team down in flames, or inspire thousands worldwide to believe in themselves and make a positive difference in their world. This month I have witnessed both ends of the spectrum.

We’ve all dealt with it many times – the project gets behind and the pressure is on. Or something changes in the organization – a supply problem, a system is down, manufacturing is halted (you know what your crises are), and suddenly something needs to be fixed, now. Or your boss gives you a priority project that is due in three days (or three hours).rnI am describing stressful situations –and the stress is caused by the tight (or impossible?) deadline. Even the word

A satisfied, motivated team of employees and distributors all working towards a common goal of company growth and profits will energize the organization for financial and spiritual success. Over the next several blog articles we’ll be featuring the details of these ten absolutely critical applications a Leader must do to support the growth of their direct reports and all those in the organization. – Ten Applications – 1. Be a leader – The Power of Example rn2. Develop

Is there something about the term ‘personal development’ that just hits you wrong and you don’t know why? Does thinking about doing some personal development get you anxious and feeling like there’s something wrong with you? Whenever an email comes in from one personal development guru or the next, they all have a similar theme. The general theme is that somehow something isn’t right with the reader and they need to get into gear and change something about themselves. This a

I noticed in the papers that one of our local football teams, Aston Villa, had taken their players on a " team bonding day " which resulted in several of them having to be pulled apart during a drunken brawl following a paint - balling session. I must admit it made me smile - I've seen so many of these team events go wrong ( though not quite as spectacularly as this ). Take a group of people who don't like each other, give them alcohol and weapons - what could go wrong? It raises the question of what makes a team. Of course, there are lots of answers, including - • a common goalr

There are times when life is on a roll, when everything happens effortlessly and seems to fall in place. We feel great and couldn’t have been more happier. It’s as if the planets and stars were aligned just for us. We even think we finally cracked the success formula. Isn’t life just wonderful? ...

In the past couple of months, I have created this habit of giving money every week. It has become an intentional part of my life experience. It's not that this is completely new. In the past, I've done a regular financial giving program. But lately, it was more when I thought of it or was asked. ...

The 1944 movie Lifeboat is a great American classic, but for the cast it almost became a great American tragedy. During the course of production, one actress contracted pneumonia twice and an actor nearly drowned. How ironic! Even a controlled simulation about a small group of survivors stranded in a small boat can be risky business. How realistic! Wouldn’t it be great if in the end, you, like filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, had a masterpiece to show for all your trouble?

I recently had a conversation with a construction engineer about how knowledge of physics enables people to move massive, heavy objects while exerting very little effort. By using centrifugal force, gravity, and the science of simple fulcrums and natural leverage, for example, two people can move a block of granite that weighs hundreds of pounds.

"Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but sail we must, and not drift, nor lie at anchor." – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894) Physician, writer, poet Transitions are a way to grow to a ...

We all have dreams and desires for our lives. Why is it that sometimes we get what we want and sometimes we don’t? Why do we start out in the direction of our goals only to find ourselves off course or falling short of what we know we are capable of? And more importantly, how can we ...

My Grandfather told me stories of getting up at 4:30 a.m. to bring in the wood, put it in the cook stove, and light the fire so his mother could prepare breakfast. A sister gathered in the dark eggs laid by the hens. A brother prepared the pig months earlier. The flour ground from their corn was in a sack to make the biscuits with fresh milk from their cows. Sure they had a lot to do every morning, but if they wanted to eat, this is what they did.

It’s Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. as the Business Network International (BNI) meeting is called to order. As I looked around the room, I could see that some of the people were still yawning and appeared to be half awake. Others look like they had been up for hours and were excited to take part in the meeting. After spending several minutes on the usual agenda, the time had come for the members to take 60 seconds and introduce themselves, their business and who their ideal cl

This year many college graduates will continue to interview for their first executive position during a very unusual economic time. As a young professional, you are armed with a world of knowledge. However, now comes the art of gaining real-life experiences in your field of expertise. It will be much more challenging this year to find a job in your industry. Do a lot of research to understand a company’s culture, and what it takes to get hired and remain employed during these tumultuous times.

When you are on a lookout for potential partners and clients, it is very natural whether it is attending a professional business conference or just going to an alumni meet, you end up receiving endless business cards or in better cases, connections on LinkedIn and Facebook. However, as your contact grows you most often end up forgetting, whom you can approach, and under what conditions, your prospective leads and contacts will accept your call. Although there are numerous art

There is no panacea for all the ills facing society today. However, the successful implementation of one community effort would do much to ease the pains caused by today’s social ills. The answer—successfully educating every individual. What is education? One important element of being educated ...

Leadership A TIME FOR LEADERSHIP, A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE 21st CENTURY The poor state of the economy and the impact that it is having on virtually everyone is a subject on every person’s mind today. Almost daily, the newspapers report the dismal economic statistics, another massive layoff, plant shutdowns, sluggish sales and growing unemployment. The country is clearly in the throws of a significant economic downturn, and it will continue to have a major impact on almost e