Leadership Articles

Several years ago, I was invited to present at an association meeting on the topic of "staying positive when things seem negative." Since it's a topic I've studied for decades and tried to practice almost as long, I agreed. As I reviewed the old notes recently, it occurred to me that I could update these ideas for leaders like you. When things seem negative, people always look to leaders. So pick a few of the following ideas that will help you stay positive when things seem negative...

Originally published on Huffington Post . Last week, we talked about the myth of control and how the pursuit of control prevents people from making real choices. We built on the timeless advice of the Greek Stoic philosopher, Epictetus: it's not what happens to you but how you respond that matters. This kind of thinking can be quite challenging to apply, primarily because of two key elements: huge impacts by conditions outside our control and having to take responsibility for

I'm sure that if you have a pet, you'll want to make sure that they feel better as soon as possible. You'll give your all finding the best possible treatments and medication for them to stay healthy! And did you know that there is one "miracle" medicine that can actually help your pet?

There may possibly be a number of outstanding men and women in your daily life who will explain to you the unvarnished, non-sugar-coated real truth, but they are extremely unusual. Five Important Roots Of Led It also requires a desire and willingness to see issues from the speaker's point of view. She also found two main blocks to her development - an individual romantic relationship that was dragging her down and a skilled connection that was keeping her again. Savor the spl

Lots of things happen in meetings - some of them even helpful! 5 KeysWhile most everyone has horror stories about meetings, there also are far too many examples of meetings that, while not awful, are far from effective. One of the reasons for these less-than-stellar experiences is that meetings aren`t often a place where decisions are made effectively - or even made at all. Meetings, of course, aren`t the only place where decisions can and should be made, but in the context o

The most common questio I'm asked by new clients who are focusing on succession planning is: "How do I start?" It's a great question and its answer is one that many clients don't anticipate: Start by having a very clear, well-developed strategic plan. Needless to say, when new clients hear ...

Relationships parallel houses in the way they are built. Daily, we add (or detract) from the foundation of our relationships - at work and at home. Daily, we lay bricks, reinforce walls, put up barriers, and cover open spaces. How much reflection and planning are you investing into the building of your house? It takes time to figure out how you want your house laid out but even with a great floor plan, if the foundation is weak, your house won't last long.

There's a ton of discussion encompassing shooting match-ups - Duke Nukem was accused for a shoot out in a film while endless others have been blamed for harming the brains of adolescents and making them bound to take an interest in firearm wrongdoing. Notwithstanding the debate be that as it may, they stay one of the most well known classes with just driving games and battling games coming anyplace close to bringing down them. Indeed, even those games that are generally cente

Note: “The elephant in the living room” is a common metaphor for situations in which people refuse to confront or even acknowledge a major issue even though everyone knows about it and it is causing serious problems. Individuals who are faced with difficult issues frequently choose to ignore them entirely or discuss them only indirectly. While most people would concur that issues such as disagreements over a course of action or poor performance should be addressed clearly

I’m a big believer in the power of relationships in leading others more effectively. After all, would you rather (and are you more likely to) follow someone you know and like, or someone you don’t? In part because of this belief, I have often used an exercise at the start of leadership training that I call “Something in Common.” One stage of that exercise involves two people who have just met working to find something they have in common that is unusual, distinct or r

Politics is acquisition, management & distribution of power’, this is what I learned in my International Relations class in University. But, how to acquire and manage power?rnI will take a look at this question with the help of 8 different terms that have been defined on CNN website in ‘eight things for future leaders’.rnWe all know politics is acquiring power (as I have already mentioned it above). However, after acquiring power one has to manage it, and mind you, mana

As a leader, you will be called upon to give presentations to your employees, outside stakeholders, or perhaps even the general public. Although the thought of public speaking might make you nervous, one of the best leadership skills you can develop is the ability to give an effective presentation to an audience. The following suggestions will help you focus on what’s important to include and avoid when delivering your message to others. Provide only the most necessary info

Leadership style in every organization is very important. How you lead an organization will hugely determine how well your organization will perform. It may help increase or decrease your staff’s motivation. There are three major leadership philosophy and they include: Authoritative or autocraticrnThis involves leaders who will demand that their minors perform a certain tasks in a manner which he/ she will describe without asking their opinions. Most leaders use this style

The personality traits that define a leader may not be present in everyone, but they can be developed. Through leadership training, you can accomplish more with your life by learning to take control of various factors that influence its direction. The numerous benefits to your financial, emotional, and overall success make it well worth the effort. If you've ever felt your emotions slip away from you, you'll definitely understand the negative feelings that can ripple out from

You've cut prices, you've refined your target customer base, you've increased your advertising and still --- business is so slow it's dangerous. The economy is not good, but other companies seem to be selling similar products and services. How are they able to survive (and yes, thrive) while ...

The main idea behind corporate trainings is that organizations are all about people and the way they respond to each other. Yes, businesses have a technical side to them too but the fact remains that in a typical organization people-related issues outnumber technical snags any day. This is a common occurrence since people in a particular organization have myriad backgrounds, different dispositions and come from different walks of life. rnThe aim, therefore, is to pool in the

Fast Company magazine recently featured a creative example of public sector innovation in the face of budgetary constraints. We can all learn from this example. The article profiled Marcel Melanson, Battalion Chief of the Compton, CA Fire Department. Melanson, at the age of 32, is one of the country's newest public leaders blazing a trail with a mantra of, "Who says?" Melanson helped create a Fire Department Facebook page and a Twitter account (@cptkid) to improve communica

Luck. Some think it is some kind of magic. Some think there is no such thing. Some think only others have it. Most wish they had more of it. Years ago I heard the definition of luck as: LaborrnUnderrnCorrectrnKnowledge While I believe there is truth in that clever acrostic, I think it falls short. It does however give you a preview of where this post is going. My belief? While some of the synonyms for luck include fate or destiny (i.e. luck is some kind of magic), other synon

Are you tired of being a worker bee? Are you forced to follow the orders of incompetent people? Did you know you can change all that? Once you learn not to be scared of being a leader, you are free to leadership positions and change the way things are done. Read on for more information. When you're a leader, you'll need to be accountable. If you make a mistake, admit it and move on. It can be easy to push the blame onto other people, but this should really be avoided. If you'

We all have limits – the boundaries beyond which we just don’t go.rnAfter all, it wouldn’t be safe.rnIt wouldn’t be prudent.rnIt wouldn’t be easy.rnWe set limits for safety purposes, for logical purposes and sometimes as excuses.rnLimits are a part of life.rnBut as leaders, we must be in the business of challenging some limits. The challenge might be a question, it might be a change in the limit, or it might appear to be a blissful ignorance of the limit altogether.

Leadership is one of the most salient ingredients of a community that is searching for improvement. Today, potential leaders are scattered everywhere and all that's left to do is to arouse their leadership vein and let it run into their blood and become the best of who they are in whatever endeavor they would want to lead to. The fact that it is essential these days to have a competent leader, we opt to make a great difference from the typical leadership styles of the other l

Appreciation is one thing that is demanded by all. No matter if they say it or not, their contribution to work adds up a new flavor with the pinch of appreciated words. Be it the colleagues, employees or co-workers, they don’t look out for occasions for little words shared by the other one end. Little surprises, appreciation tokens, all of it throughout the year help the other feel valued and to give more to what the organizational goals are. So, why reserve the appreciatin

A client recently asked me for guidance on how she should gauge her managers' understanding of their organization's strategic plan. She doesn't believe her managers fully appreciate how important their roles are in ensuring the plan succeeds. She fears they believe it is up to the executive ...

It is a proven fact – the attitude of those around you is contagious.rnThis fact is great, when the attitude we are infected with is a positive one, but that isn’t the purpose of this article. Since negative attitudes are just as contagious as positive ones, you’d like to guard yourself from these attitudes!rnWhether you deal with this with co-workers, the team you lead, or people in your personal life, the six ideas below will help you – if you put them to work.rnDis

"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." -Zig Ziglar I agree with Zig Ziglar that you were born to win. You are born with unlimited resources. Regardless of the advantages or disadvantages you had or have. Within you is a wealth of ...

If you have flown anytime in the last several years you have heard some version of this announcement: At this time, we request that all mobile phones, pagers, radios, and remote controlled toys be turned off for the full duration of the flight, as these items might interfere with the navigational and communication equipment on this aircraft. We request that all other electronic devices including laptops, Game boys, CD players, Mp3 players, tablets, e-readers be turned off unt

What does it mean to be an inspiring leader? An inspiring leader is someone that people follow, if you're a leader and nobody's following you, you're not really a leader or you lack leadership skills. Think of the world's most inspiring leaders, who are inspiring leaders throughout history? How can you become an inspiring leader? How can you have more impact on the employees in your life? More Influence on people all around the world and more income that you can enjoy the fi

People skills, you either have them or you don't. True - up to a point. Some leaders are great at getting from their people exactly what is vital and important and others, well, let's say, less so. Still, for all there is hope to make progress, by focusing on some key points to build leadership ...

If you don`t know me, I`m the office of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. I`ve not always been an office - in fact for the first 47 years of my life I was, well, a house. I had kids and grandparents roaming my wooden floors. I`ve heard laughter and seen tears. Frankly, I thought I`d seen it all. Then when my last owners sold to Kevin about 3 years ago and he turned me into his global headquarters, I figured life would get really boring. Of course, I didn`t really know, I was just a

In the packaging industry, gable boxes have so much importance as these can give more value to the products. Having an exciting and unique packaging solution for your products can make it look more appealing and also can enhance the shelf value of the brand. Gable boxes have different designs, shapes, colors, and sizes, which are designed according to the demand of customers. Therefore, consumers can have them according to the specific event or product.

No doubt your quest of achieving your personal or even organizational goals is not a walk in the park. That goes with no say. You will need to go an extra mile to turn these dreams into reality- Often you will need inspiration and guidance in order to unleash your potential. It is in such instances where leadership and high-performance coaching comes in handy. These processes will equip you with the needed knowledge and skills to reach your much-desired potential. The beauty

A business school professor once told me that, "the job of a leader is to remove stress from his or her employees." I disagreed by saying, "I think one of the jobs of a leader is to help his or her employees manage stress for optimal performance." How well do you help your team manage stress throughout the day?

Recently I got into a discussion with employees of a firm I am working with and they identified what they do not appreciate in their leaders. So take heed, spoken from the mouths of babes. 1. They don't really listen. They are caught up in their own ego, judgments, and agendas. Leader Tip #1: A master listener listens for both what is said and what is not said. For 5 minutes each day, listen to an employee or client and refrain from saying "I" or "me" during the conversation.

Scarce resources are a fact of business life. In the wake of devastating budget cuts, furloughs, and/or layoffs, however, "normal" levels of scarcity have been exacerbated. The question for many organizations has become, "How do we move forward from here most effectively?" When asked to help clients answer that question, I recommend that they begin by identifying some crucial information that will guide their subsequent actions and decisions. 1. Clearly define the organizatio

You might surmise that you know everything there is to think about iOS 11 at this point. Yet, do you think about these 13 mystery traps that will make it less demanding and quicker to utilize iPhone highlights? Some you've utilized for a considerable length of time and others you've never utilized. Continue perusing for 13 hints you'll cherish. Try not to avoid No. 5 - you'll at long last acknowledge what appears to be so changed about your iPhone, positively. 1. Better Live

Attitude is a habit of thought. Every second your five senses are bombarded with millions of bits of data. Since it's impossible to process that much data, your brain has created well worn neural pathways, or patterns of interpretation, to process repetitive data sets. Those patterns filter ...

Everyone has problems. Big problems, little problems, work problems, relationship problems; pick an area of your life and you probably have at least one, or have had one. At some point along the way you may have received some problem solving training. I know a little bit about that kind of training; I`ve attended some and taught some as well. In all of those workshops, or in any book you will read on the subject, you will get some great ideas. You also may get some very robus

A manager approached me this week after a work session to seek my advice on how he should address one of his employees. This employee is increasingly becoming trouble; he's more often than not selecting which projects and which elements of each project to work on. When the manager has asked the ...

Ben, a high-level leader in a multi-national firm, recently confessed that he felt like a bad father. That weekend he had messed up his Saturday daddy duties. When he took his son to soccer practice, Ben stayed for a while to support him. In the process, though, he forgot to take his daughter to her piano lesson. By the time they got to the piano teacher’s house, the next student was already playing. This extremely successful businessman felt like a failure. nnAt work, one

My wife`s favorite television show is the The Biggest Loser. If you`re not familiar, it`s an NBC reality television show that chronicles a group of seriously overweight people from all walks of life as they try to become more healthy - and lose lots of weight. To give you an idea, the most recent winner, Danny Cahill a 40-year-old man from Oklahoma, went from 430 pounds to 191 pounds in 7 months (that`s 239 pounds LOST). When my wife first began watching the show and telling

Ahh, the comfort zone. As humans, this is a place we love. We look for, strive for and have created products and even entire industries to help find and maintain high levels of comfort (hello Lazy-Boy!). You`ll find this desire for the comfort zone in all areas of life - physically, mentally, emotionally and more; face it, we are hard wired to seek comfort. Given that, you might be surprised by the title of this piece. (Could I really want you to get uncomfortable?) Why would

When you hear the word “rockstar,” what comes to mind? Does it conjure up visions of a stage performance where adoring fans groove to the pounding vibe of a mega-celebrity with massive adoration? Does it evoke images of limousines, red carpet struts, and mega-attention? Perhaps it makes you think of an indulgent lifestyle where someone “gets” everything in lavish doses because of their huge persona, swelling fan base and their ability to command an army of servants to grant

I heard Greg Caruso of Successful Exits share a story recently that I found valuable for my clients because of its simplicity and truth. When he was young, Greg loved to fish. When he grew older, life got in the way until one day he made a conscientious decision to restart his childhood hobby. ...

(Some years ago I wrote this Lincoln soliloquy for the training film "Lincoln On Communication" and subsequently incorporated it into my one-man play "The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln." It is included in Chapter 19 of LINCOLN SPEAKS TO LEADERS. ) "Words have been used to encourage and praise me. Words have been used to mock, attack, and wound me. But I have never lost faith in their power or their durability. Words can reveal thoughts, conceal pain, paint dreams, correct

A few years ago, British author John Lees asked that question to a number of managers, consultants, training specialists and business owners. Guess what was their number one response? It wasn't work harder or put in longer hours. It was simply, "be self-aware." Employees who have a clear understanding of their employer's needs and how they are perceived are most likely to get promoted. Gaining self-awareness doesn't come naturally to most people. It requires work, discipline

3:59.4 On May 6, 1954 the world heard that number. That was the time that Roger Bannister ran the mile at the Iffley Road track in Oxford. It was the first time someone ran a mile in less than 4 minutes. Legend has it that doctors thought the 4 minute mile was a barrier that humans couldn’t cross. This wasn’t any true belief – though the previous record had been in place for 9 years. No one had ever broken the 4 minute barrier, and yet it was broken 46 days later by Joh

Unless you live under a rock, live outside the United States or are a non-sports person, you know the National Football League held their draft of players last week. If you don’t know, this annual event allows teams to pick players based on a prescribed order that they have the right to hire for their team. (And the whole thing is televised, with great cable ratings in prime time).rnWhile the rules and context for hiring these players is different than what we face in organ

When I talk to many leaders, the term “metrics” seems to cause one of two responses: a gleam in the eye of those leaders who love the numbers...or a blank stare from the rest who know that measures and metrics are important, but will say they “aren’t numbers people.”rnYou are likely one of those two people. If you are a numbers person, you may think this article isn’t for you; you’d be wrong. Regardless of our personal disposition and belief, the numbers do matt