Leadership Articles

Small changes can lead to big changes. We don’t need a treatise on Chaos Theory to observe that changing systems are nonlinear. Each variable in the change environment exponentially affects the outcome. For example, a simple three-variable closed environment will yield 6 permutations, while 6 ... Small changes can lead to big changes. We don’t need a treatise on Chaos Theory to observe that changing systems are nonlinear. Each variable in the change environment exponentially

What we want is everyone working together, pulling in the same direction, striving for the same goals. It seems like it ought to be easy. After all, everyone is on the same team.rnBut the more people who are involved on your team and in your organization, the harder this becomes. People create their own goals and purposes for work. They become more self-focused and seem to have less of a vested interest in the success of others. This doesn’t make people “bad” or selfish

According to the latest studies, the average employee is delivering only 50% of what they are capable of offering to your organization. As a leader, you’re frustrated by this lack of performance. You’d like to clone your high performers so you can become more results oriented like the entrepreneurial companies you see in the marketplace. nnTo capture the talents and potential of today’s knowledge workers, you must recognize the dramatic rise in numbers of these employee

I’ve certainly opened with a big question, and it is a question I want you to think about as you read, and hopefully far into the future.rnSpecifically, I want you to think about the beliefs and expectations you hold about those you lead. But before I get back to you personally, let me give you some background.rnThe ResearchrnFor many years research has been done in the realm of education related to The Pygmalion Effect, which says in effect that the positive expectations a

At a recent Washington fund –raiser, a former female CEO arrived in a dazzling designer suit while a female senator was dressed in the business attire stated on the invitation. Why is it that many women have to be the “smartest” in the room whether in clothes or comments? Very smart women abound. They achieve so much and often get recognized for their achievement. Many of us have asked why there aren’t more women in leadership positions in organizations of all kinds. Women a

Each of us are the way we are due to several factors out of which our upbringing, our beliefs and values formed during our formative years play a major role. Thus when with interact with others, there is exchange of views and values which if they match results in a 'harmonious' relationship and when they do not, causes disharmony. One sure way we can remain positive is when we continuously think optimistically.

Recently I wanted to remove some concrete footings from the property of my boyhood farm home. On the surface these slabs averaged 2-3 feet across and about 8 feet wide. This surface area may not seem very large, but because they had been built to carry the weight of a very large tank I knew they were deep. I just didn`t know how deep. I arranged for someone to come with a backhoe and loader to dig and roll them out, so I could pull them with a tractor to a space at the back o

Before I get to the lessons, I need to give you a bit of background. On July 4th, we hosted the ninth annual Farm Party at our farm in Michigan. A flag was signed by nearly all of the 88 attendees of this event. Present also were the flags from the last four years, hanging as banners in our shop.rnThe first party wasn’t nearly that large – just a few people in the yard the summer my Dad passed away. The reason for the first one was that my sister and I, who both live far

Trust is something we’d all like more of.rnWe’d like to be able to trust more people more. And we’d all also like more people to trust us more.rnThese are universally true statements, even for those who have lots of trusting relationships.rnWhile this is true, it only considers part of what trust even means.rnIf you stop to think about it, you will realize that I am talking about trust as a noun – as something that exists – in this case something we’d like more of

Shoppers will crowd the super centers and malls this weekend following Thanksgiving. Friday and Saturday are really busy shopping days in the U.S. In fact, over the next several weeks, retail stores will do 50% or more of their business for the year. So where will you go? And who will you do business with? If you truly want to create a Work Positive impact with your holiday spending, here are three reasons to shop locally this Saturday, November 26, which is Small Business Saturday. Personal Servicer

The leader purposefully strides to the front of the conference room table and is prepared to begin. Smiling warmly, she turns to the group, and asks the group a question. Since she wants their response she allows the pause to encourage people to participate. After creating a conversation, she clearly tailors her message to the group based on the initial conversation.rnWithout knowing anything more, would you expect people to trust her and her message more or less after the me

ISSUE: Satisfaction at work, for most people, is plummeting. We seem to be becoming a society of disgruntled people. And in the fact of this, there is much that people can do to be able to really have a successful and satisfying work life and avoid burnout. ABSTRACT Employees can’t keep living in hope that their work will provide them with the satisfaction and fulfillment that they want. Being at work really does provide an extraordinary opportunity to have a life that you

“The reason that we have two ears and one mouth,” said the Greek philosopher, Zeno, “is that we may listen the more and talk the less.” nOf the top five areas employees feel management needs to improve, listening skills consistently ranks near the top. One of the reasons that all of us tend to struggle in this area (according to other’s assessment; rarely do we see the need) is that our mind works five to seven times faster than our mouths can possibly work. nOften,

There is such a wide range of natural stone now available that whatever type of garden you have there is sure to be something suitable that will transform your outside space whether it is a small courtyard garden or has acres of space. But knowing that there are suitable natural stone tiles out there is the easy part – choosing which tiles are right for your patio is harder.

Before you dive into the details of your next presentation and start preparing your PowerPoint and stressing about how it will go . . .rnStop.rnAsk yourself a more important question.rnA question that far-too-few people ask.rnHow will I earn their attention?rnBecause if they aren’t paying attention, your message will be lost.rnThis has always been an important question, but in our frantic, internet and gadget-filled lives, it is now absolutely critical.rnIf you don’t earn

I had the opportunity to provide the keynote address at a client's annual team meeting in New York recently. For most organizations these types of events are honestly, quite boring and attended only by those employees who couldn't come up with a believable excuse not to attend. This ...

The CEO marched to the podium. The applause faded. The audience of 500 senior executives and middle managers listened as the CEO outlined the major change initiative. His grasp of the facts and details was amazing. Unfortunately, after 10 minutes of data, the audience drifted. The CEO lost them because he didn't know that broadcasting is not communicating. He didn't realize that to reach the mind one must go through the heart. He didn't appreciate the power of story to inspire, motivate, and encourage his leaders to commit to his message.

As a leader, what leadership styles are you employing?nnOver the years I have found my own leadership style evolving while I watch how others lead. I find myself wondering if the style they use is better than mine, worse than mine, would have more of an impact, or would turn people away.nnI consider myself an observer of people. I love to watch how people dress, interact, their tendencies, and their abilities. I especially watch people in roles of leadership to see how they c

How would you like to be in business with no stress or strain? Today there are many authors and lecturers talking about the power of the mind. Spirituality, meditation, and visualization are now en vogue. As an entrepreneur and adviser to growing companies speaking and writing about an ...

Any business, team or organization would definitely benefit from good and effective leadership. This can mean the difference between achieving goals or missing them completely. The skills needed to be considered a good leader however, are not in-born. Yes, you can have natural charisma and ability to motivate people, but there is much more than that in order to guide a group of people to a common goal. Traditionally, the skills can be acquired through experience. But this can

When I accepted my first management position, my new boss told me his secret to managing people was to treat them like whiny children. I asked him if managing people was his thing, and he bluntly said, “No, because I hate dealing with people and their petty issues.” Despite his revelation, we had a good relationship because I didn’t ask him for leadership advice and he didn’t have any to give. I quickly realized that I had inherited a slightly hostile team driven by t

Procurement, or more commonly known then as purchasing, was a tactical unit in the business, responsible for processing purchase orders Let’s think back to the early 90s: For many of us, those days were filled with Beanie Babies, Tamagotchis, cartoons or grunge music. At that time, procurement, or more commonly known then as purchasing, was a tactical unit in the business, responsible for processing purchase orders and identifying ways to cut costs. Procurement was purchasing

Everyone knows the importance of competitive corporate branding strategies to market to a targeted group of people with unique offerings of specific goods or services. But what is often forgotten is that professionals each have their own personal brands, whether they know it or not. It doesn’t matter if you are a top-level executive, an emerging leader, or an independent entrepreneur; you have a personal brand that you market all day, every day, in this changing economy.

Brand ambassador marketing platform is a very crucial part for your company if your company is familiar with the term of ambassador marketing. You may also acknowledge the fact that one of the biggest challenges faced in brand ambassador marketing procedure is maintaining a very high level of ambassador engagement.rnYou must keep a track of your ambassador’s engagement during the time of campaigns. The engagement levels are the key to your ambassador branding platform. A ve

When I published my first book, Searching for Success, it marked the completion of a personal milestone. For too many years, I had created mental obstacles that stopped me from realizing my dream of authoring a book. This powerful experience was life-changing. Shortly after publication, I was ...

Quotes of the week *=========================================================*rn”……., be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work……..” (I Corinth 15:58 NKJ) ‘If your commitment is on a roller coaster, you achievements cannot be consistent’ _ Kemmy Oluleye *=========================================================*rn: Be Consistent Welcome to this week’s issue of Life of Value article. This week we continue our sharing on living a life of value with focus on the subject - Consistency.

Charlie Brown.rnHe is one of the best-known fictional characters of the last 75 years (though he first appeared in a different strip earlier. The first Peanuts Strip was published October 2, 1950). He is known by many as a lovable loser, has been often bullied, and called names (“You Blockhead, Charlie Brown!”). Charles Schultz, the creator of Charlie Brown, once said, “[He] must be the one who suffers, because he is a caricature of the average person. Most of us are mu

Chinese Lao-tzu had a 6th century philosophy, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”. So is the climbing of a corporate ladder, which must start at some point and with some efforts, one goes up taking advantage of available opportunities that come by and against potential competitors. For one to make it up the corporate ladder, therefore, it is important to understand that the leadership activity must be channeled towards promoting and maintaining p

The other day I was talking to a CEO about the educational and development needs of his corporation, and he remarked, "You know, Nido, leadership isn't what it used to be. I used to think I knew what to look for in leaders. Now I'm not so sure."nnHe continued: "When I first went into business, a strong leader could say 'Follow me,' and people would follow. Now when you say that, your employees want to know where you're going, what you expect to find when you get there, and wh

Tom was working hard to change the culture in his organization. He wanted to create greater collaboration, teamwork and empowerment. He envisioned an organization where people loved coming to work each day. He knew that when these things were a part of working life that productivity would sky ...

Dealing With Interruptions When you manage people, you learn that everyone has a different idea as to what is important. You also learn that everyone battles to manage our time effectively. These two come together to form what seems like continual flow of interruptions. So how can we reduce ...

What’s better than having your friend as your business partner? An individual who is always there for you in tough times? There are some people who are fortunate enough to have their besties as co-founders. It is probably the best thing that can happen to a young and passionate individual, who is looking to make a mark in his journey towards excellence. A startup requires great commitment to flourish, which is only possible through better understanding of the business and th

When talking about workplace “traumas” from senior management to the front desk, a common theme is ineffective managers and why they exist. Frequent complaints center on promotions stemming from seniority only, office politics or some other ‘What Dah?’ advancement that is more mysterious than the Bermuda Triangle. When I hear managers refer to an employee as ‘bad,’ it bothers me because ‘bad’ is more about the manager than the employee. As a manager/leader, it

Selling things can be hard work. That's why good sales and marketing people are highly valued in any business. The most highly prized salespeople are creative and innovative people who never seem to run out of ideas to try in promoting their product. But sometimes that can be even harder ...

Despite all the talk about wanting to attract and keep young savvy workers, too many managers in the United States are jumping backward in work/life policies. According to a new survey of nearly 10,000 workers in eight countries by Ernst & Young’s Global Generations Research, millennials are the most dissatisfied. Lack of flexibility was cited among the top reasons millennials quit jobs. And nearly 40 percent of young workers, male or female, in the United States are so unhappy with the lack of paid parental-leave policies that they say they would be willing to move to another country.

In the past, undertaking training leadership programs was taken lightly. People used to consider it as a way of gaining an added advantage in leadership. However, this has changed today. As a way of stabilizing leadership and fitting to the competitive leadership world, one needs to undertake leadership training. This kind of training helps one attain the necessary leadership skills such as communication. As a way of achieving corporate success in leadership, one needs traini

I am reading Tom Peters’ latest book titled “The Little Big Things” and am energized by Tom’s writing on Excellence.* (Peters, 2010) You may recall Tom wrote the best selling “In Search of Excellence” several years ago and has been an important voice ever since on the idea of reaching higher. (Peters and Waterman, 1982) Here are questions to consider: What is Excellence? Why should I pursue Excellence? How do I pursue Excellence? While there could be many long answers to these questions, here is one writer’s attempt to answer. What is Excellence?r

Every leader deals with leading, championing or even driving change. And every book and article about doing that will talk about the importance of the vision for the changed state. There is a good reason for that – a vision of the changed state you want people to move towards is critical to a successful change.rnSo you read advice like:rn“Create a vision”rn“Make it compelling”rn“Help people see what you see”rnAll of that is true, but incomplete. That advice does

Certainly, the word "peace" evokes good feelings. It's a concept everyone would favor, right? Logic tells us that anyone with common sense would say, "I am for Peace," and every half wit would say, "I am against Peace." What you hear the word "peace," what do you think? Does it conjure up ideas of true serenity – a spa, pleasant aromas, a babbling book, gentle breezes and an occasional massage? When we think "peaceful," we usually think "quiet" and "relaxing." Other images

I was interviewed a few years ago about creating wealth in one’s life and the guy interviewing me laughed at the idea that wealth could be created in 30 days. What if it was a possibility? We limit ourselves based on habits, subconscious beliefs and influences throughout our lives, but can you say with certainty that you could not create wealth for yourself in a month? I’m not here to answer this but to explore the idea that it could be possible for you.

Note: The essay that follows was written several years ago and comes from my book Vantagepoints on Learning and Life. The lessons are as true as ever. I share this as a day-after-Mother’s Day tribute to my mom.rnThanks Mom – I love you.rnMy mother emailed me about an experience she had last week that reminded me of some of my experiences growing up, and I hope you can relate as well. I’ll let her tell you the first part of the story. . .rn“It was a beautiful, early Se

Despite best team building efforts, many organizations are still operating on low power when it comes to producing desired results. They’ve invested time and dollars in events that supposedly help team members bond and function coherently, yet results are short term at best. n So what’s the problem? Every situation is unique, but here are a few possibilities: • Some or all members don’t want to function as a team. They’ve become accustomed to operating independently and don’

The wisdom of the ages tells us that we cannot prepare for the future without looking back to see where we have come from and get our bearings to know where are we today. That may be true yet I wonder if we ever look at the past with a realistic lens? A very wise man is recorded as saying that 'there is a time for everything' - and perhaps it is about time that we began to be more realistic about the future in light of the past. In particular the more recent past that has changed the entire worlds view over the last 10 years.

Apparently today is Show and Tell Day at Work.rnWho knew?rnWhen I read this fact, it got me thinking . . .rnI went back to Mrs. Fredrick’s kindergarten classroom on a warm spring day. I was called to the front. It was my turn to share! No, I don’t remember exactly what I showed off, but I remember feeling great to have the chance to share it. And I have many other memories of “show and tell” in general, and I’m guessing you do too. I’m not an elementary aged educa

"I'll get back to you on that." I uttered these famous last words to a graduate student at UCLA way back when I was selling for Siemens Medical Systems. I never did get back to him. I became busy and forgot about his request. Not a big deal, right? it wasn’t as HE was the person buying the equipment from us or influential in the buying process. Yeah right.

Leadership starts with tough decisions. Let me share with you my recent leadership challenge and the leadership secrets you can use in any team building situation for great leadership results.nnI have the honor and pleasure of volunteering for many groups and causes. In many situations, I am called upon to lead as chairperson or co-chairperson. Recently, I had the honor of co-chairing an event that involved leading and motivating a team of volunteers to work together for a su

Professional sports leagues create special event games called All Star Games. They create teams of the best players from their leagues to play a game, show off their talents and sell tickets.rnOne way or another (by votes of media, players or fans), the players are selected and the game is played. The total assembled talent is always incredible. The resulting team performance however is sometimes a bit underwhelming.rnOn the surface, one would think that the best player at ev

Leadership deals with the ability of a certain individual to direct other people to behave and work towards the achievement of a common goal. Those leaders who rose in rank can lead other people because of their desirable trait and intelligence. A good leader tend to have a lot of followers. Leadership alone is not an easy process because people vary in their perceptions towards a leader. The way how a leader communicate and work with their employees can be a good reason why

SMART goal setting should be an individual process, but the manager inevitably rn takes an active role in guiding and supporting their team members through rn the process. Here are a few important steps to a successful smart goal setting process: 1.Take the time to describe and clarify what SMART Goals are (specific,measurable,attainable,relevant,timebound) what is their aim, their function and how are they going to keep your employees focused to achieve desired outputs. Prac