Leadership Articles

There's an enigmatic lining behind the personality of successful people; if you look closely, you'll find that most share an ability to focus on the positive. nnYou may think that some people are simply natural optimists, and while this may be true if you think about it, many great leaders, who are usually confronted by the most harrowing of circumstances, seemingly always look, and find, the bright side of things.nnLet's look at some examples:nn Sir Ernest Shackleton . There

It is safe to say that relatively few employers and even fewer employees can accurately identify the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and describe its role. Yet this five-member panel is about to transform the nature of the workplace. Here are seven things employers and employees need to know about the NLRB. 1. The NRLB consists of five people whose decisions have the effect of federal law. The Board's rulings come in the form of decisions about unfair labor practices fi

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “go slow to go fast.” I sometimes say it to Clients and participants in training. I remind myself of this truth occasionally too. Why? Because too often we are in such a rush to get the next task done that we end up spending more time doing it – or getting ...

One of the words we use a lot at The Kevin Eikenberry Group is potential. It is in book and newsletter titles, and it is on my mind every day. Implied in those titles is our belief that we all have significant potential. Here is what is at the bottom of this blog:rn"Extraordinary potential exists in all of us. With the right environment, resources, skills and knowledge, ‘ordinary’ people can produce extraordinary results." - Kevin EikenberryrnThis truth is the foundation

As I work with leaders to ditch the drama and turn excuses into results, I am shocked to see the number of leaders who still tout an open door policy! I feel the urge to apologize on behalf of all of us who have ever suggested that an open door policy would lead to results--we lied, we had no research to support this notion, it just sounded good, and we are so sorry! Now please close your doors and start coaching rather than hosting a complaint desk.r

In making the decision to become a leader or manager, most up-and-comers are not motivated by altruistic ideas such as leaving a legacy, developing others, bettering the organization or even serving customers. Nope, let’s be frank. Most of us go into leadership to move up the ladder and for an increase in compensation, a private office, a parking spot, and finally, some power. Bottom line: We are looking for more luxury, not less.

It’s a new year, which can mean new beginnings. I’d like to raise your awareness of a place where you can contribute, something I don’t hear talked about much. As entrepreneurs, we are all leaders. We have the opportunity to really change things, to make a difference in a positive and significant way. We spend a lot of time thinking about how we can be better leaders in our businesses. We spend time and energy on it. And that’s very important. Now, I invite you to expand

Introductio My friend and colleague Joe passed away suddenly from a heart attack last November. He had refused a procedure recommended by his doctor and had not told either his wife or me that he had heart problems. All I knew was that he had high cholesterol. She and I talked later and ...

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage - Anais Ninr Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; Genius will not; Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent - Calvin Coolidge

Hmmm, this is interesting. This meeting with the executive team was supposed to start at 9AM and here it is 9:05AM and no executives are in the board room yet. Oh wait, I hear someone coming. Let me get near the door so I can introduce myself as everyone comes in. Ah, here's the first ...

There is something intriguing and hot about people who act incredibly successful even before seeing any results. I have this ete al admiration for so many of my cyber pals and authors who radiate self-confidence, love and success through my computer screen. This leadership posture is not by chance, it is by absolute choice. When I started my entrepreneurial venture 8 years ago, I was blessed to have the most amazing mentors to guide me. My intention today is to share some key insights with you in hopes that you will be pumped to rock your biz and your life and live boldly every day!

"Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found it was ourselves." - Robert Frost Becoming familiar with The Law of Attraction (LOA) is powerful in manifesting your desires for something more. Simplistically, the LOA is a synchronizing of thoughts, beliefs, feelings and ...

You are interested in buying a new vehicle. You go to the dealer’s lot and look at a white Honda Accord. You test-drive it. You really like it, but the salesperson won’t get the price right. As you turn out of the dealer’s lot and drive down the street, guess what you see? A white Honda Accord. You pull out onto the expressway and merge into traffic right behind . . . a white Honda Accord. You look across the median at the traffic and a white Honda Accord passes you. You think, “There are white Honda Accords everywhere!” Now are there really?

My dad attended seminary at Columbia University at a time when many of the great theologians of the 20th century emerged. Later on, as a minister in charge of his own large congregation, he was a rather prominent public figure in town and was continually under the spotlight. No matter where I went there was always someone who knew my dad. But whether he was caring for the sick and the poor, celebrating a wedding ceremony, presiding over a funeral, or delivering an inspirational message from the pulpit – Dad always had enormous compassion and the ability to comfort and inspire.

Most of us, at one time or another have looked to someone more experienced or expert than us to help us navigate through a difficult challenge or situation. Whether formal or informal, we’ve had these sorts of relationships throughout our lives. Sometimes these relationships have happened ...

Equating management with leadership can be comparable to a case of mistaken identity. Aquiring a promotion, a specific position, or even a highly regarded degree won't designate an individual a leader. For anyone serious about developing a successful business, increasing leadership skills is of critical importance. With my background in management, and years of leadership study, I am sharing with you my knowledge related to leadership vs management. Management I got my initia

As a leader, all day long you are wearing a hat. Not the kind that people might laugh at or that might smoosh your hair, but a hat nonetheless. For the next few minutes I want you to think of the various roles you play as a leader and different hats that you wear. While there are likely more, let’s talk about ten of them briefly. Coach. As a leader you have a responsibility (and need) to develop others to succeed in their roles and prepare for future roles. Facilitator. As

cul·turernˈkəlCHər/rnnounrnMerriam-Websterrnc: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization a corporate culture focused on the bottom line A company’s culture is driven by the leader of an organization and the most successful organizations are led by a values-based leader. Someone who knows what’s really important to them and who uses their values as a guide and motivator – a leader who walks the talk an

In your business relationships and in life, failing to consciously develop and invest in others, causes erosion of trust and belief in you and all you stand for. When compared to all of the worries and tasks that we have for ourselves, investing in others may seem like a minor task on our to-do ...

Can you guess the name of the leader described below? - A new chief executive, one of the youngest in his nation's history, is being sworn into office on a cold and cloudy day in January. - He was raised a Catholic. - He rose to his new position in part because of his vibrant charisma. - He is revered by the people and will play a crucial role in a military crisis that will face his nation. - His name will become legendary.

The soapy, wet rags danced across my front windshield as I drove into the carwash. Instantly, my 90-pound German Sheppard leapt from the back to the front seat. His big brown eyes screamed at me, "Dad, what's that?" “It’s okay Comet." I stroked his head as the car darkened. Within seconds, those gigantic brushes attacked the car from all sides. Comet scrambled onto my lap, shaking. His eyes, glued to mine, cried “I’m not okay!" I held him tightly, stroked his head, and sang our song, "That's our good boy Comet; Comet is a good boy..." He stopped shaking.

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a client. We were discussing her company's strategic plan and the next step: the succession plan. I was outlining for her the basic steps to identifying the responsibilities of key positions when she asked a great question: "Just what is a ...

Recently I attended my 35th High School Class Reunion.rnActually, I did more than attend it; I hosted it at our farm.rnI graduated with about 115 other kids in 1980, and as Class President, I have been involved in the planning of all of our class reunions (though early on, my role was much smaller when I lived clear across the country). This summer marked our 35th year, and a small group of us were talking this spring about whether we would have an event. The consensus of the

How do you convince leaders to change? n nExecutive coaching offers a tremendous opportunity to leverage the talent and resources of leaders.n nCoaching is no longer reserved for problem leaders. It is frequently sought by top performers whose organizations value their growth potential. But not all coaching is the same.n n Establishing Ground Rules n nHere are five principles that should be clarified at the outset of the coaching process. In the beginning, coaches must clarif

When you make a New Year Resolution, ensure it comes from your heart, in unison with your head. It has the capacity to enrich your life and bring you closer to your positive and empowered future Irrespective of who we are, we all want the best for our lives. How many times have you fallen but got up again and kept going? How many brick walls have you encountered? How many obstacles have you faced? Each time you had the resolve to keep going.r

Understanding employee reactions to big changes within your organization such as layoffs and mergers can help you understand what employees need, not just in stressful times, but every day. Here are three questions your employees need the answers to regularly:

A few months ago, Charlie Sheen seemed to be on top of the world. Then his world turned upside down. What’s really sad is that Charlie thought he was, to use his terminology, winning. And why shouldn’t he? He was raking in millions of dollars as the star of the highest rated sitcom on television. By many standards Charlie Sheen was a success. He probably really believed he possessed Adonis DNA and Tiger Blood. He saw absolutely no need to change. Now he has no show.

“It is an inexorable Law of Nature that bad must follow good, that decline must follow a rise. To feel that we can rest on our achievements is a dangerous fallacy. Inner strength can overcome anything that occurs outside.” I Ching I am a pretty amazing woman – I may not be an Olympic woman of ...

So here you are sitting in your office, staring at a couple of weeks left in the month, and wondering how you will finish up 2011. The holidays are nice and all, but depending on what kind of business you’re in, you’re either overwhelmed and just trying to keep up or underwhelmed, worried about keeping the door open until business returns to normal. Regardless, you talk to yourself and the conversation starts with, “I’ll be OK. Business will be better when . . . I get some new employees.” I move to a new location.” I renegotiate my supplier contracts.”

Many of the leaders I work with, especially those in churches and other faith-oriented organizations, consider themselves to be Servant Leaders. They use the term for several reasons, but the main ones I encounter are because it is compatible with Christian lexicon (it sounds good) and/or because they believe they are serving God and/or people in their leadership role, making them (in their minds) Servant Leaders.rnActually, Servant Leadership is a specific style of leading o

We all have goals we’d like to accomplish, but one of the major barriers we face in achieving our goals is procrastination. It is simply the process of putting off a decision or action to a later time. These days I consider myself a winner in overcoming my tendency to defer activities to another ...

The real test of leadership is not in the moment, but in the long term. Of course, the decisions you make at any moment can positively or negatively affect the long term health of the business. Have you ever seen a leader swoop in and be the hero of the moment only to guide the organization to long-term failure? What good is that? As the world-wide economy continues to improve, there will be a host of leaders who will be determined to show that they are getting great result

It turns out that the number one motivator of knowledge workers is not at all what their bosses think it is. In a multi-year study, completed by Teresa M. Amabile, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, managers put recognition at the top of the list of motivators. Whereas, in fact, the top motivator consistently with knowledge workers was progress (which managers ranked dead last).

Music can move us, make us smile; bring back memories - both good and bad - and many other things. Today, I plan to show you how music can help make you a better leader.rnEveryone has a connection to at least some music; everyone has favorite songs, genres and more. In this article, I am not trying to identify the five "best" songs for leaders, or even necessarily my favorites. I didn't even scour my entire collection to generate this list. What I did was identify songs that

Today I am honored to have my colleague Darcy Eikenberg as a guest blogger. Enjoy the article and then check out her new book, “Bring Your Superpowers to Work: Your Guide to Clarity, Confidence & Control” (available on Amazon.com) Have you ever wished for more confidence? If so, you’re not alone. We’re drawn to it in others, aspire to it for ourselves, but more often than not, never have enough of it. But in a fast-changing workplace, we need confidence now more than ever. So how do you create confidence for yourself at work? The secret starts with. . . well, faking it.

Today’s work environment calls on individuals to work together in team settings more and more. It just makes sense. However, some individuals have a harder time than others adapting to a team environment. As managers, we need to build our teams and help them understand how to work together ...

When leaders are chosen, the decision is often based on the wrong criteria. Many look to people with strong, charismatic personalities, or passion for personal achievement. They may also look to people who are commanding or who manage the efforts of others well. Some people even look to physical attributes as an indication of leadership ability. The misconceptions of what makes a person a good leader are not limited to these factors. They also include our choices of personali

What is leadership? Leadership is the skill of motivating individuals to move toward, or accomplish, a common goal! Managing on the other hand is organizing time and resources appropriately to accomplish that goal successfully. Is there a difference? Absolutely! Most companies have leaders in the most senior positions and great managers under them to carry out their goals. In ideal situations a person can be both! That is having the best of both worlds.

Have you ever asked yourself at some point in your life or at various points in your life the following question? “What’s my purpose?” I am guessing that if you are reading this, you have. And, because you just read the question, you are asking yourself (perhaps again or perhaps for the first time) that question.r

Here are my top three tips for leaders who find themselves challenged by the unprecedented events and markets of 2011. 1. Leverage leadership opportunities into enhanced career value – Assert yourself as a leader by accepting even greater responsibility without being asked. Go beyond the call of duty to support the performance of coworkers, teams, and bosses. Do that and you become the strongest link in the human resource chain and the most valuable player on the team.r

A manager recently asked me, "My back-up person is incredible. When she retires -- which she's eligible do at any moment -- we'll be in big trouble. My problem is: How do I train someone else to do her job, without taking responsibilities away from her? I don't want to hurt her feelings and make ...

Businesses using social media need to closely monitor what they, and their employees, are saying about others to ensure you aren’t in the firing line of our defamation laws. In this article, we provide an outline of what constitutes defamation in Australia, and what you need to be careful of. Under Australian state laws, you (or your company) may be in the firing line of a defamation action if you have written material that has harmed the reputation of a person, a small bus

As a leader/manager/supervisor in an organization, part of your responsibility, obligation and an implied (if not stated) expectation is to be a coach.rnRecently I was asked a very valuable question about that role, and the reality that many leaders live in. The question came from someone registered for our upcoming 3 hour Livecast on April 17. Learn more and register here for free.)rnHere is the question, verbatim:rnI manage a small IT group. I haven't done coaching, and wan

What is leadership? It is the ability to manage people in different circumstances, using appropriate leadership styles and judgment. The different qualities that leaders have include the ability to understand situations well, be confident, to communicate well, to have a strong intuitive sense, to be able to deal with and manage people and the ability to think outside the box. There are many other qualities that leaders have that enable them to be successful in leading the org

The Greatest Investment Ever Made Is . . . What would Warren Buffett say was the greatest investment that he ever made? What would Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey say was the greatest investment they ever made? How about Mary Kay Ash? What would the most admired person you know say was the ...

In one word, what’s my purpose? Remember that question? It is where we left off from the last article. It should have got you thinking. As an individual, team or organization, where has your thinking got to?

rnLeadership and training are two significant factors in having a successful management that will lead to the success of an organization. Leadership is a vital part in managing an organization. To become a leader, you need to be fully equipped with great knowledge and skills on proper control of the entire management system in an organization. On the other hand, training is a series of application of various methods and procedures to produce great strategies and techniques to

A senior manager recently asked what the difference was between a manager and a leader. I told her. A manager is responsible for taking care of the here and now. A manager ensures the resources are used efficiently, and plans for maximum utilization of staff, equipment, materials, and capital. A ...

In order to be a good leader, you must know what to do and what not to do. Leadership is often difficult, especially given the hard choices involved. Therefore, applying this knowledge is crucial to your success. If you want to be an excellent leader, you need to focus on how you interact with others in order to get more things done. You must learn what to do to inspire and encourage those around you. Instead of micromanaging everything, work on getting the most out of your t