Leadership Articles

How do you help leaders succeed? Give them some coaching, that’s the widely accepted solution. Then why do some executives give up on coaching programs designed to help them improve?n nExecutive coaching offers a tremendous opportunity to leverage leadership talent and resources. Coaching is no longer reserved for problem leaders. It is more frequently sought by top performers whose organizations value their management and growth potential. Yet, sometimes coaching programs

Why is it so important for a manager to be have effective leadership skills? To me, the answer is simple. If all you ever wanted was for people to come to work on time and do what's specified in a job description, you could just manage them the way you do anything else, such as funds, tools, equipment, supplies, etc. You wouldn't need people skills. But what most managers really want is for team members to do their best work - both individually and as a coordinated effort. Pe

Previously, we examined the five qualities of effective leaders, regardless of Perceptual Style. Here, we’ll begin to look at the unique leadership qualities of each specific Perceptual Style, along with real world examples of each.* The Activity Leadership StylernThose with the Activity Perceptual Style don’t tend to be continuous leaders. (In general, they prefer to let people pursue their own directions.) If, however, a crisis or situational problem arises, they will s

We have all encountered locked doors in our lives. Most of them are literal slabs of wood or metal, keeping us from moving to someplace we want to go. And to get through doors, keys are required.rnThe keys I am sharing with you today however, unlock more than a literal door. They are key ways to ask better questions – and these keys unlock more than a room, they unlock engagement, conversation, understanding, trust, problem solving and more.rnThese are doors worth opening.r

Everyone wants a quick fix. Wouldn't you like it if I could just tell you the secret to developing more effective leadership and you could be an effective leader right now? You know -- make it quick and sweet and get it done today! Well, here's the truth: I can and I can't! Here's the "I ...

Learning.rnIn a world where change seems to come hurling toward us like a bullet train, we know learning is needed just to survive, let alone thrive.rnAnd while most everyone would nod at the idea that we must be lifelong learners, the list of excuses people have for why they aren’t and can’t be learning continually is long. The most popular comment/excuse as to why people aren’t learning is one you have heard, and likely thought...rn“I’m too busy. I don’t have ti

Amid the impersonal busyness of the airport, I feel drawn to his warm oasis. My shoes don’t need shining, I think as I take a seat to have my polished shoes shined at Nacho’s shoeshine stand in Terminal 1 at the LA airport. Nacho (his real name) looks up and smiles. I rationalize my decision, Well; my shoes can’t be TOO polished as I fly out to work with the Federal Reserve Bank. Why would I choose to spend money at Nacho’s getting my shoes shined when they didn’t need it? Because he delivers what scientists tell us are the keys to profitable repeat customers. Do you?

Failure happens to all of us. And as leaders, how we deal with it is important – for ourselves, and for the lasting message it sends to others.rnRecently we experienced one of our most public failures. Guy Harris and I were in our studio during what was supposed to be an awesome three hour live streaming web event.rnWe had hundreds registered. We had planned extensively, promoted it heavily and invested significantly in this event.rnThen, when we went live, nothing happened

A No-Excuses Leadership Learning Strategy Leading effectively is a complex mix of skills and behaviors that don`t all come naturally and can`t be mastered quickly (if ever). To put it simply, to be a great leader, you must be a continual learner. That is easy to say. It is easy to believe. But how do you do it? I believe the cornerstone for a personal leadership development plan needs to include the perspectives of those you impact, influence, and lead. The best way to get th

Getting credit for your work is not always easy. You can do great work, but if no one knows you were responsible for the outstanding results, you won't get recognized. The key to getting credit for your accomplishments is doing an effective job at promoting yourself and letting other people know what you did. This includes the work you completed, the projects you contributed to and the beneficial ideas that were yours. One of the primary reasons people often don't get credit

Any kind of leadership entails the same responsibility, and that is to influence subordinates to carry out an action, fulfill a task or act in a certain manner through proper motivation. An effective leader influences processes, invigorates to change the attitudes of their followers. The leader further increases follower's self esteem thus producing efficacy in tasks. In addition, a good leader encourages taking action on the vision stated by employing strategic ways to effec

Currently, there are several off-page techniques to boost your visibility and increase brand awareness. Like submitting articles, press release distribution to premium media outlets generates high quality backlinks. Before launching the press release campaign, you need to know a few tricks to maximize your traffic benefits. Press release is a news statement that informs about your product launches, special offers and other entrepreneurial related announcements to media and co

Last week I wrote about why your perspective as a leader is so powerful. If you missed it, it is a great prelude to this article. Today I give you practical ways to get more and new perspectives into your experience and thought process. Note: None of these are difficult in and of themselves, but all may require a change of habit or thinking. All of them will make a real difference in your ability to lead, make decisions, influence others and much more. Because of their power,

A while back, I received a distressed email from Ken, a young manager at a high-tech company.nnKen and I had never met, but he had read my first two books and had done his best to apply the ideas and practices of Extreme Leadership to the way he'd led his team. To their culture, their work ethic, their camaraderie. When necessary, Ken told me, they would band together and work hard -- 10 to 20 hours a day at times -- to solve a problem or meet a pressing need. Ken's wife woul

Picture box of sticky-back stars. This takes me instantly back to my kidhood. The homework or test is handed back to me from the teacher with a grade, and if you did well and got really lucky, it might have one of these stars on it.rnThe star – whether blue, green or gold, made my day. It told me that I had done a good job. And even if the grade was a good one, it wasn’t as sweet as when you got a star too.rnMaybe you didn’t get stars like these, but I’ll bet you got

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

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24

Wait a minute Kevin...isn’t coaching supposed to be about the person we are coaching, not about us?rnYes, the best coaches do put 100% of their focus on helping the other person become more successful and confident.rnSo if this is true, then why are you writing about how the coach will benefit? Don’t you have your priorities wrong here?rnNot at all. Let me tell you why . . .rnThe improvements to the coaching life that I will describe below can’t, by definition, come tru

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It is a phrase most often used in relationship to language usage, but when coined by linguist Arnold Zwicky, he defined it much more broadly as “the belief that things you have noticed only recently are in fact recent.”rnHere are two interesting language examples:rn• You might think that the use of the single-word sentence “Not!” to negate the previous idea came from the 1980’s (or maybe Wayne’s World). Not! Its use in that way dates back to at least 1860.rn•

Remodeling your kitchen can be a dream come true for many, however, typically a kitchen remodeling can run to be quite expensive. On an average, a kitchen remodeling can cost you anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. If you are not willing to go on such an extremely overhaul for your kitchen remodeling, here are a few easy tips that will help you remodel your kitchen on a budget. 1. Make a proper plan

Our world is nothing but an unending cycle of change. We are experiencing change in many aspects and one of those is how to manage employees. Many companies have changed in the way they manage their employees because unlike before, a lot of companies and organizations nowadays are becoming active in the global scene. They want to become globally competitive but at the same time they still want to keep in touch with the local markets. That’s why the knowledge of working virt

Everyone has a personal brand these days. But if you want to move ahead you need to be more than the "finance guy who understands the business." Distinguish yourself as someone with a truly unique perspective respected inside and outside the organization. Here are three ways to do that: 1. Build your online presence. The internet is a perfect place to start showcasing your knowledge. Post comments on blogs, write your own posts, and connect with other bloggers to create a network.r

PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene was discovered on April 6, 1938 by Dr. Roy Plunkett at the DuPont research laboratories and it was patented in February of 1941. You know PTFE as Teflon – the non-stick coating used on things like pans, griddles and grills. This chemical now has a growing list of uses based on its chemical properties and this discovery has made DuPont a lot of money. This is all well and good, but you might wonder if there are connections between Teflon and g

If I asked you whether or not you thought you were a truly effective leader, you would probably say "no". Well, guess what - you'd be absolutely right. And you'd be absolutely wrong.nnYou see, very few of us are exceptional leaders by nature. But we are leaders nonetheless, regardless of whether we realize it or not, and the influence we have on others, particularly if we are around young children for any length of time, is exceptional despite our awareness - or lack of aware

Insurance.rnWe have it for many things: for our lives, for our cars, for our home, for our health, for our identities, for our cell phones (!) and much more.rnWe are purchasing this insurance as a safety net against something bad happening. While different people have different risk tolerances, and differing abilities to pay, generally speaking, we agree that insurance, at least in some cases, is a good idea.rnAs leaders, there is no doubt that bad things can happen to our te

Making a fabulous impression on people opens doors for your business, personal, and career endeavors. People like charming people who make them feel comfortable. So, making a fantastic impression helps you get where you want to go. The basic rule to make a great impression is this: ...

Did you know that the same skills used in Survival Situations are thesame skills needed for effective Leadership? The U.S. military usesthe word SURVIVAL as a pneumonic device to help its troops and leaders remember right actions under fire. In This article, Rosemary Rein,Ph.D and Author of "Go Wild-Survival Skills for Business and Life"details how today's successful Leaders and Managers can follow the Same Principles for "Go Wild! Go GREAT! Visionary Leadership:nn*S: Size up

From birth to adulthood we learn to become good citizens and well-adjusted adults in the world of work and life. Many people make this transitional relatively successfully and lead somewhat normal, happy lives. Some people make it to adulthood grumbling and blaming the world for all the "bad ...

It is three simple lines and the words I most connect to Maya Angelou. After I heard of her passing, they are the words I thought of . . .rn“If you don't like something, change it.rnIf you can't change it, change your attitude.rnDon't complain.”rn- Maya AngelournThe advice is powerful and easy to agree with, yet difficult to apply. But if we do apply these words as leaders and human beings, we will be far more effective, make a much larger difference, and be healthier and

Almost everywhere we turn, trust is on the decline. Trust in our culture at large, in our institutions, and in our companies is significantly lower than a generation ago. Research shows that only 49% of employees trust senior management, and only 28% believe CEOs are a credible source of information. Consider the loss of trust and confidence in the financial markets today. Indeed, "trust makes the world go ‘round," and right now we're experiencing a crisis of trust. Thi

It's been said that to be a successful salesperson, not only do your listening skills have to be great, but your closing skills have to be even better. However, I believe that while these skills are helpful, they are not essential. In my opinion, to be a top-performing sales professional, you must be a great leader. It is a fundamental character trait. Although we have all known salespeople who have had stellar years based on the luck of a few great clients, those with sustai

Bill is gone? I thought to myself. I shouldn't be surprised. He was great at putting a project scope together. He had the most elegant project charts in the company. He was even a good guy… once you got to know him. I later learned that Bill was fired from Siemens because he was not a "people person," meaning he had low emotional intelligence. How is yours?

ISSUE: The primary reason for the failure of most interviews to identify a truly outstanding candidate is that most interviews focus on the capabilities, background and experience of the prospective employee. This approach ignores the fact that the interviewee is a human being that the employer is going to have to live with day after day. ABSTRACT There is a way to stack the odds in your favor and significantly increase the likelihood that you will be satisfied with the emplo

You know you have to have one, so what is that “edge” for your business? This is the key that draws people to your (virtual or physical) door. Without that “edge” clearly stated, people will never know why they should turn to you for your product or service. Are you the price leader? Do you have the lowest price? Or do you intentionally have the highest price? Don’t just be the price leader and always be cutting your prices. If you do, you will soon be out of business. Price your services and products fairly and realistically; don’t play games with your pricing model.

Unmotivated employees have rightly been called "the black holes of the business universe." Fortunately, motivation is not something a person is born with or without. Applying these Ten Commandments can go a long way to helping existing employees find their motivation.n n 1. Commit with all thy heart so others might follow n nBefore you ask your employees to commit, you must be fully committed yourself as a manager and leader of your organization. Throw your heart over the bar

Managing inventory is extremely difficult for large companies with complex and tested systems, much less a smaller company that is just getting started. You might set up a program to keep track of the hundreds of pallets that go in and out of your business every day, but you are often not the one that is entering information into the computer, and you are definitely not the one moving the inventory yourself. There are so many challenges to face when dealing with inventory man

Recall a time in your life when you were joyously doing something and the time just flew by. A time when you were so completely absorbed by what you were doing that nothing else mattered. An occasion when you felt passion and enthusiasm and were elated by the results. Did that feel good or ...

Mark Twain wrote, "The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can`t." Walt Disney said, "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate`s loot on Treasure Island." And, more recently, Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) taught us, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you`ll go." I share these quotations with you for two reasons. First, I believe and agree with each of them. Second, having read

The question related to the difference between management and leadership has been asked numerous times and has been answered differently each time. The major difference between leaders and managers is in the way they interact and motivate workers or followers towards an aim or target, and this determines the manner for several other characteristics of how they act. In some cases, there are people who are both. They work as managers, but they know that they need to motivate pe

Surrender? When you think about surrender, you don`t likely think of great leadership. People who surrender, lose, right? The dictionary tells us that surrender, as a verb, means things like: "to yield possession or power," "to give (oneself) up," "to give up, abandon or relinquish." These are hardly the ideas we connect with leaders we aspire to emulate. Or it is? Yet, in order to lead effectively, whether on the shop floor, the cube farm or anywhere else, there are things t

Looking forward to opening software as a service startup company? Or do you run a SaaS company? Then you need to read this article to the end. There are many challenges when it comes to any startup company. Accounting has been a major headache when it comes to SaaS startup companies.

There are 5 Steps to creating a diverse and culturally competent organization. Step 1) Assessment and Cultural Competence: Do your client and stakeholder assessments include information about the major cultural groups in your community? Who's here and who is accessing our services and products? What's changing in our community? Service and Product Selection and Cultural Competence: rnWho conducted the research, developed the service or product?rnHow did the researchers/progra

It is likely you have had an experience like this in your past:rnYou are 8 or 10 or 12 years old. You’ve done something wrong, whether you know it yet or not. You certainly know it after you have been told to “stay after class”, “go to the Principal’s office” or “wait until your Father gets home.”rnWhatever the offense, the event goes about the same. You are told what you did, why it is wrong, and what you need to do differently. This wasn’t a conversation â

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recently released memoir, Known and Unknown , reveals a man of prodigious intellect (no surprise), an endearing sense of humor and little self-doubt. Whether or not you're a fan of the Secretary, it's a great read. Secretary Rumsfeld's book tour has included stops at several of the Sunday morning news shows. Virtually every one of those show's hosts has questioned him about his management style. A typical question: "Mr. Secretary, ma

The mechanics and techniques of managing your time and activities are very simple and well known. A good book to review the tools and techniques of time and activity management is Building Personal Leadership: Inspirational Tools & Techniques for Work & Life. What is not simple are the ...

I have had an interesting life! If you know me at all you may remember my seasons as a professional athlete (NHL Player and now coach) but did you know that it was also my good fortune to be in the movie “Miracle?” This movie depicted the US hockey win over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. ...

This past week had me contemplating what it means to be of use. Listening to one NPR Morning Edition program, I began to tally all the problems on the Obama administration's plate: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Supreme Court Justice nomination, lack of US cyber security, the economy, the environment...and the list continued. It was overwhelming as I thought about what it must take to attack all these issues with a calm and thoughtful approach. You've got four years to change the wor

I can listen to another person's problems or complaints and tell them exactly what they should do. Can't you? It's easy for us to see what others need to do to fix a problem, resolve a conflict, or find happiness. But for some reason, they don't usually take our advice, do they? Managers often get into the job of management because they are really good at solving problems or getting stuff done. Often, managers are promoted because they are the best technicians. It makes sens

In this changing, challenging, and competitive workplace, we can’t overestimate the importance of good management. Good managers will consistently motivate you to perform at higher levels of productivity. Bad managers will drive you crazy and eventually out of the organization. Managers with poor skills will frequently produce the following results:nn1. Decreased productivityn2. Increased turnovern3. Increased absencesn4. Increased human resources mediation situationsn5