Leadership Articles

Interning is becoming a common part of College educations, and is an excellent way to start one’s career. During my freshman orientation in business school, the presenting faculty scared us all by telling us we were expected to complete at least 3 internships before we graduated. This tactic ...

Here is some very good news for you. There is no perfect leadership style, which means there is more than one way to lead effectively. Why is this good news? Because it means you, yes you, can become a highly effective leader. Read that again and let it sink in. Whatever your past experience, whatever your relative success or failure as a leader, you can become a self-assured, highly-effective leader of others. And it doesn’t require that you become someone else or “play

You are creative! It is not a question of “if;” it is a question of “how much!” Each person is blessed with creativity from birth and so it is a matter of learning how to express this gift. Think about how a group of young children just ooze with creativity and energy. Problems are not nearly so daunting to the youngsters as they might be to us adults. What can we learn?

One of the professional organizations to which I belong has had its theme for the year: Keep It Real. It is meant to encourage us members to truly be experts in what we proclaim to be and do. To be honest, when I first heard the theme, I thought: Boring! However, over the past several months, ...

Leaders are often metaphorically compared to eagles. Rightfully so; because like eagles leaders posses a keen since of vision and have a tremendous strength of character. However, the misnomer is when leaders assume they should be found alone like most eagles. The sighting of a noble leader may be rare; however a good leader should never be alone. When a leader acts as a lone ranger, taking all the responsibility upon himself; it is neither good for him or for the people. Bot

Many professionals working in large organizations or as entrepreneurs don’t really understand the importance of utilizing great technology to communicate your personal brand. The world is a different place today. We already utilize the Internet to search for everything from products, and services to recipes and music, as well as many other uses. Business professionals who work in large organizations need to be visible on the web so that they can network with other professionals.

Eight year old Sam Baker was wondering about something, so he asked his parents, "How come our town doesn`t have a Christmas tree lit up for everyone in town to enjoy?" He reasoned that other nearby towns had trees, that they had a tree at the White House, and that he saw them light a tree at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. He thought those Christmas tree lighting ceremonies were pretty cool and he didn`t see why they couldn`t have one right there in Ellettsville, Indiana

Unless you can stick to your goals for the long haul they will totally backfire and make you feel like a failure. But we’re not going to let that happen in 2012, and to ensure that your goals are doable and empowering, be sure to follow these six tips. Don’t Candy-Coat the Medicine It is easy to fantasize easy results when we are excited about the potential and possibility of a new beginning. But real change is hard. Dial back your resolutions until you know they are doable and achievable. Then you’ll be encouraged by the results, not frustrated by the challenges.

8 Traits of a Great Leader There have been hundreds of thousands of leaders throughout history—and probably millions today, leading in various government and workforce capacities. What are some of the traits that are common to good and effective leaders? Here, we will discuss 8 traits of a great leader. 1. Integrity If a leader isn’t honest and doesn’t adhere to a moral code, how can they willingly expect other people to follow them? When people see that a person walks

Do you get frustrated because things do not work out the way you want? Though you see people succeeding, their achievements have nothing to do with you. Because you are failing, your goals remain just goals. Whichever the case, it is not your fault. It is just that you are not given or being taught a proper step-by-step blueprint to success. Most people are just contented to wait for and follow orders. Though it is normal to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality, I am sure in y

Human disagreement remains inevitable. When conflict is not addressed, each side becomes defensive, and a person who is defensive will rarely see the logic of the other’s position. These four steps will help you end conflict more quickly. rn1. Look for some area of common ground as soon as possible. Nine years ago, I owned a small manufacturing company. We had grown to the point we needed to triple our rented space. I located a building and intended spending a sizable amoun

Everyone wants to get paid more and promoted faster. It is just human nature. But who knows what they must do to be recognized as a high performer worthy of being paid more and promoted faster? There are many things you can do and I’ve chosen to share three with you. Develop Good Work Habits: ...

You ever wonder how some people in the blogosphere make it big while most others just seem to perish into the darkness? When I started blogging a few years back this was always on my mind. So much so that it kept me up at night sometimes. I wanted so bad to be up there with the big bloggers. I had no idea how they did it but I was steadfast to figure it out and unlock their secrets.

I spent most of last week coaching leaders on their skills, abilities and results through the use of 360 assessments. While the experience, scope and overall skill of these leaders varied widely, one of the lessons I received from this process was a reminder of and deepening appreciation for the power of encouragement.rnBy the way, don’t miss that point – while I was the coach and supposed to be helping other people learn and gain insights, I learned at least as much as t

It’s seems almost as if the world doesn’t appreciate good people. Your boss may want to give the person you were working with the promotion before you, even though you did most of the work! You could blow up in his face and tell him how he dare do that considering all the work you did, or you can say nothing and turn the other cheek. Some may think turning the other cheek is a sign of weakness. It is, actually, the exact opposite. It’s a show of strength, the strength o

Up until my early 30s, vacations for this Southern-bred woman meant sipping mint juleps in a New Orleans courtyard, lounging poolside at one of Florida's posh resorts, or exploring the historic treasures of Williamsburg. My one experience with the great outdoors and camping had netted poison ivy misery from head to toe, accompanied by a scratching pain that only subsided when my grandfather soaked me in Clorox water. My biggest mountain adventure came from driving the gentle back of the Blue Ridge and Appalachians. Loved changed all that.

Some of the most powerful things in life are simple.rnSuch is the case with encouragement.rnPeople are more productive, more focused and more successful in a positive and supportive environment than in a negative one. And we can help create that environment by being more encouraging.rnJohn Adair wrote, “Praise and recognition based on performance are the oxygen of the human spirit.”rnI believe he is right.rnBeing encouraging and giving recognition is not only the right th

What does it mean to "reach higher"? The phrase suggests going beyond the ordinary or doing much better than mediocre. Excellence certainly fits too. Any discussion of reaching higher would be incomplete without at least one example. Several years ago, I was in charge of a team in a large military exercise. Over the three days or so, we ran through our paces both literally and figuratively as we worked to meet operational challenges in a simulated war-time environment. During this period, my respect grew for one team member in particular as he seemed to do better the harder the scenario.

Most people don't know how to balance work in relationship to other areas of their life, often described as work/life balance. Hectic work schedules, increased responsibility, new technology, and the need to read and respond to growing quantities of email and voicemail are just some of the things that place huge demands on your work life. This pressure may cause you to feel as if your work is a prison that you can never escape as more and more keeps coming at you. Many of us

Conquering the Leadership Paradox It happens all over the world, every day. Josie is a great performer. She is very good at her technical expertise, and for that she is rewarded with a promotion. Her supervisor calls her into her office and gives her the good news. Congratulations Josie, you are now the supervisor! Excited, perhaps surprised, and maybe a bit scared, Josie smiles and walks out knowing that her life is about to change — she just doesn’t know how much. There

Marsha Kent, the pioneer in DRTV marketing talks profoundly about the importance of a good Call Centre in the DRTV ensemble. A responsive Call Centre, using a wide range of sophisticated software, answers inbound, or places outbound telephone calls. To handle the high volumes of inbound calls, and place outbound calls, the call centre should be suitably equipped. Ideally, a good, hi-tech Call Centre should have the following facilities:rn• Customized entry system for placin

Lots of people set goals.rnFar fewer achieve them.rnThere are a lot of reasons why that happens, not the least of which is that people treat the goal setting process as an achievement; which it isn’t really. We don’t set goals as the outcome. We set goals to get goals. (Tweet That) Yes, setting them is a necessary first step, but achieving them is the real purpose, isn’t it?rnSo I propose that you ask yourself these ten questions (and answer them of course) to inform yo

In a society that for the most part predicates itself on the idea that you have to fight your way to the top, kill or be killed, eat what you kill, and look out for “numero uno” you; the concept of serving others in order to succeed would seem to be contradictory to success .

I've heard from quite a few people lately who have lost their jobs, taken pay cuts, or are otherwise in a tough situation. They are struggling, not just financially, but emotionally. For many people, the comfortable stability that we have grown accustomed to has been rocked. We will get through these difficult times. Many people will even recover in a way that is bigger and better than before. What will make the difference between those who continue to struggle and those who

A wise leader who lived around 1000 BC once declared “Teach me your ways … that I may live according to your truth!” The author of those words had not lived according to the truth that he had been taught at the hands of his parents. In fact the record shows that even though he had become very successful, even rising to be the king of his people, he had forgotten the truth.

One of the most important lessons I've learned over the past several years is the importance of changing our leadership style to match the situation or person we are dealing with. Using a single approach may hit the middle part of your team, but may leaves the top and bottom performers to fend ...

When we think about remote or virtual teams, we may think about flexibility, freedom and perhaps even high productivity. And when people are working out and on their own, we typically think that interpersonal issues might not matter as much or happen as often.rnUnfortunately, this isn’t always true.rnAnd, when we do experience conflicts and problems, they are often harder to unravel and they can reach far –causing problems for everyone on the team. As a leader of a remote

The management skills that the individual shows allow him to utilize a 360 degree approach where he is gifted to get feedback from his peers and subordinates. If you wish for to ensure your leadership skills, find out the situation to recognize what other citizens in the length think about you. This could be a real pacesetter to add the changes in the management style and an occasion to administer your leadership guise with perfection. You are said to be good director and lea

Emotions are a feedback mechanism. The dictionary defines feedback as ‘information returned to the source.” Thus, emotions contain information for us. They are meant to help us manage our attention. If you do not manage your emotions and pay attention to the emotions of those around you, you will miss an enormous amount of information necessary for effective leadership.

I have seen a pattern amongst many people in life; the pattern of quitting when times get tough. Quitting is perhaps one of the easiest things to do because it requires no effort at all. Quitting on your business, quitting school, quitting relationships, quitting on goals that you are pursuing. I once heard a man say that "quitters never win and winners never quit." There is a story in the book "Think And Grow Rich" in which a man bought a mining field. He dug and dug for gol

Goals, whether formally stated or not, are critical to all organizational success. We (hopefully) all have over-arching organizational goals; but on a more practical and immediately applicable level, we have project goals, productivity goals, quality goals, developmental goals, and the list could go on. Setting effective goals is the focus of countless resources (drop by your favorite bookstore, run a search on Amazon.com, look on your personal bookshelf if you`re unsure abou

From a fairly early stage in my career I have been involved in process improvement activities. While at Chevron in the early 1990`s, I served as a Quality Training Consultant teaching organizations, among other things, process improvement tools. The goal of the training and the efforts overall were to improve quality, reduce waste and take existing work processes and make them better. These ideas certainly didn`t start at Chevron. Experts, notably W. Edwards Deming, have long

How many times have you gotten a flash of insight, a great idea or remembered the name of that person you couldn’t come up with, while taking a shower?rnI’ll bet it is more than once.rnIn fact, one survey of highly creative people found that 19% of those people get their best ideas in the shower. That same survey said 13% get their best ideas while exercising, and only 4% got them while brainstorming or sitting at their desk (2% each). (If you are wondering, the highest p

Here's something you already know: it's hard to find good, well-skilled employees. However, here's a truly scary fact: according to The Herman Group, national surveys are predicting that within 12 months, 75% of today's workers will be employed somewhere else. That fact alone should be enough ...

If your organization is like most, the summer months passed by very quickly. This was due to the normal work requirements. However, it was also compounded by the added pressures of employee vacation schedules. With employees taking leave, covering the work of those who are on leave, and trying ...

My first job after graduate school was coordinating research at the University of Califo ia at San Diego (UCSD). I had the privilege of working with an extraordinary team led by luminary leader, Dr. Victor Froelicher. In the four years that the nucleus of our small, productive, and highly motivated team was together, we published 33 major research papers. Several members of our team went on to become productive leaders in their respective fields. What accounted for such productivity, effectiveness, and motivation? The latest research in neuroscience, biology, and psychology tell us that Dr.

There are common steps associated with goal achievement. They are:nn§ Aim high.n§ Write your goals down.n§ Set a time limit or deadline.n§ Identify those people, and organizations that can help you reach your goals.n§ Consider multiple facets of your life including family, career, health, ...

Every organization has a set of beliefs, or norms, that guide day to day interactions and processes. Organizational beliefs help to frame our decision making and allow us to be consistent and efficient. In public agencies, there are a lot of them. Sometimes, however, our beliefs become so ingrained that we use them as an excuse for not moving forward. Our beliefs can prevent us from making the change we know we need to make. You may not even be aware of the beliefs that are p

It is a fundamental quandary in any organization.rnSomeday, the current leaders won’t be there and someone else will need to fill their shoes. It might not be soon, or it might be very urgent due to demographics, turnover or organizational growth. Whatever the reason, the question needs to be posed and answered – who are our future leaders?rnIn our work with leaders and organizations, this question gets asked often – and most often our help is required in creating proce

For most employers, the objective of filling a staff position, is to find the right person, with the right attitude, with the right skills. Quite often, once that's done, we cross off that 'To Do' item, give a sigh of relief, and move on to the next issue that's demanding our attention. However, ...

There is a SYSTEM globally ministrated and operated to assist anyone dedicated to improving their lifestyle and achieve their goals and dreams. I know because I am part of that organization and I have a huge dream that will come to actualization in the near future. Most of the scientific law behind our strategy is derived from Napoleon Hill's blockbuster Think $ Grow Rich, Bob Proctor's You Were Born Rich, and many similar sources of Principled wisdom and authors from past and present.r

A minimum of 30% of all resources are wasted in the conduct of business! Believe it? n There are the obvious wastes like material waste, missing supplies and tools, abuse of machinery, unsecured loss of equipment, and undetected quality defects. The list can get quite long. However, there's ...

Even though I know better now but still when I think of a leader I think of the president, or the founders of countries, philanthropists like mother Teresa or the CEOs of the companies, I am sure I am not the only one. Leadership, to us, seems like a responsibility with unbelievable burden rather than a gift. It is seen as a curse that will drain out the happiness from your life rather than a blessing that will conjure fountains of the happiness of achieving something great.

Before you read any further, get a pen and a piece of paper. Write down all the groups you belong to. I’ll help you get started.nnI am a member of the human race. nI am a male/female. nnKeep writing until you have at have at least 10-15 groups on your list.nnNow that you are back, let’s review your list. nnI’m guessing that you will notice some groups that you are a member of without even making a choice, like the two I gave you to start your list. You also will likely

I recently spent seven days cruising aboard the Serenade of the Seas, one of the outstanding ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. The beautiful and massive cruise ship departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Each day we visited a beautiful island gem -- St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, ...

Both banner and Flash ads are useful online advertising tools employed by many businesses. Both serve the purpose of advertising your business's product or service, however they have unique differences. If you want to use one of these advertising methods, you'll need to determine which one best suits your needs. Plain banner ads are displayed exactly as their name suggests. Wide, short banner ads are normally placed at the top or bottom of a Web page, and tall, narrow banner

I have used juggling as a way to relax, to start conversations, I’ve used it as a metaphor to teach lessons in training, and as a result have taught hundreds of people how to juggle as well. Since I learned that Saturday was World Juggling Day, I decided to share some connections and ideas between juggling and leadership. I think you will find them interesting and perhaps even surprising. First there are some big connections between the process of learning both of these ski

We've hit that part of the Strategic Planning process with a few of our clients: It's time for them to put what they've developed to the test. Specifically, a few clients are facing difficult situations with select key staff members. These tough situations are requiring top management to either ...