Leadership Articles

When you reach milestones in life, like a 50th birthday, it is a good idea to reflect (actually, reflection is valuable every day, but that is a different post). And as my 50th birthday came and went over the weekend, I reflected on some of the most valuable things I have learned in my work and in my life. The lesson I’ve chosen to write about is important in both our work and life, as it seems to me that the most valuable lessons usually are. This lesson might seem like a

How we take care of our energy "internally" impacts our energy "externally". Period. The energy we bring to our business, and the energy of our team, impacts our bottom line business results. The health and energy of our people, with the financial health and energy of our businesses, impact the overall health of the organization. It's a virtuous cycle. And one we can impact intentionally. Let's start with where we each have the most and quickest impact. Leading ourselves firs

Successful businesses have the idea that investing in the next generation of leaders is vital to sustaining competitive gain and attaining corporate growth over the long term. Leadership program furnishes function managers with the superior decision-making and execution skill they require to outshine as multifaceted leaders. You will come out well prepared to take on greater cross-functional accountabilities- and eventually drive performance throughout your organization. Lead

In preparation for an upcoming speech, "Coaching with Backbone, Not Bite - Seven Strategies for Building High Performance Teams," our office conducted a survey of student athletes and coaches. Overwhelmingly, their responses pointed to the value of giving and receiving feedback in a way that is constructive rather than destructive. These athletes and coaches crave valuable feedback to enhance their performance. Feedback is equally valuable in the workplace. The ability to ass

Are you incorporating all four feedback methods when working with your team? What? You think there are only 2 types of feedback? Leadership and learning expert Kevin Eikenberry shares tips for using all FOUR feedback techniques. You`ve likely heard when you deliver feedback it should be balanced. When you have heard that, what people typically are suggesting that you should strive to give people a balance of positive and negative feedback. This advice is only half-right. It`s

It often seems that the directors of child care centers assumed their positions with limited experience or education to prepare them for running a high-quality child care center. However, a childcare center’s director is critical in establishing the overall quality of an early childhood program, research studies have shown. Often times new childcare center directors finds themselves in a position that demands they not only manage the administrative, business and supervisory

Extra ordinary leadership is not just something injected into our DNA makeup. Good leadership skills are to be developed, nurtured and inspired into doing works of greatness. There are various factors that can be blended into our inherent skill over a period of time. When developing leadership, one is confronted with the question of which leadership style is best suited for the leader as well as the organization. Although there are various types of leadership defined today, e

If you're a manager or supervisor, it's your job to make sure your staff not only gets the work done, but finds fulfillment in their jobs. If you don't, you'll spend a lot more time than necessary in the hiring and training cycle because unfulfilled employees don't tend to stick around. While keeping employees happy may sometimes seem like mission impossible, following a few guidelines will help most of your employees feel good about the time they spend at work. This week's

One of the hardest things for leaders is giving effective feedback. It’s perhaps most challenging when you are new in your leadership or supervisory role. If you find yourself in that leadership situation, consider reading From Bud to Boss – Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership , written by Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris. Learn more about the book and join a community of learning leaders who are succeeding in this transition (or helping others do t

Unquestionably one of the most challenging skills to perfect in the language services industry is simultaneous interpretation. Great interpretation is an amalgamation of three vital factors – interpretation ability, technology, and preparation. And because the margin of error is narrow, interpreters need every advantage to perform their services accurately. Practicing these techniques will make your interpretations at events and conferences that much smoother. • Concentra

124 years today, something amazing and historic happened. The United States government made about 2 million acres of public land in Oklahoma available to homestead. Here’s how it worked.Oklahoma Land Rush Starting at noon April 22, 1889, legal settlers could claim lots up to 160 acres. If the settler lived on the land and improved it, they could then receive title to the land. Talk about opportunity! If you were a U.S. resident and wanted to own property, this was a clear a

I, like many people feel I learned so much from my father. He was my first boss as well as my Dad, so I learned about Leadership and Customer Service as well as learning about life. Knowing that I wanted to write this and post it the day after we celebrate Father’s Day, I decided to go to social media (which I am not sure what my Dad would have thought about) to find out the lessons others have learned from their fathers. I asked on Facebook and Twitter, and the Twitter que

Transfiguring Future of Innovations rnInnovation has always played a crucial part in enhancing the quality of businesses over the decades, becoming one of most mandatory factor for the growth of an organization. A true leader should ensure that the fire of crafting new innovations and spreading its significance among the employees must never be perished. To put such actions into practice, a term ‘Transformational Leadership’ was introduced. rnThe first thing that strikes

In the ever competitive marketplace need for management leadership has felt from the organizational experts. Nowadays the need is massively felt for good managers and the people who can manage the increasing stress levels across the organizations. Successful management leadership requires an innovative and skilful manager who can assign tasks to the team. The whole set of assignment is done by a leader who can inspire the team members with full of its potential. A person who

A good leader is not necessarily born with leadership traits, but one is able to train to be good leader. A good leader is not always at the top of the hierarchy or a technical expert but is an attractive force that motivates the team and helps in the growth of the organization. A good leader will be mindful of the team working under him and should be able to bring the best out of each one of them working towards the goals of the organization. The good leader will have an att

Networking is very important in our daily lives. Often the best jobs and opportunities are not advertised but filled by word of mouth. With this in mind, a good idea is to go and find them yourself. How is this done, do I hear you ask? By the simple process of networking. A number of people feel networking is waste of time and it has no effect on personal relationships or being successful in your business. This concept is completely incorrect. Relationships and business have

Networking is skill which is extremely important in order to make contact with different people. Not only is networking required within the workplace, it is also required outside in various other situations. For a woman to have positive networking skills is very important. Not only is a woman usually in charge of the socializing of her family, she is also sometimes responsible for gathering more clientele for the business she works in. If she has her own business, networking

I learned this week that a client started a program in which every manager is part of a team to help less-experienced staff learn basic project management techniques. Each team will identify and work on a project collaboratively. The overall intent is to not only enhance the project management ...

There are many different reasons why companies decide to hire outside consultants, combined by a common thread of not having enough or adequate internal competency. Nevertheless, the type of service that has been utilized by the organization differs from IT help to the development of marketing strategy and in some cases it can also be the development of long term strategy. The option of avoiding the consultant help no longer exists and this is where the management consultants

In this episode of Trial Lawyer Nation, Michael Cowen sits down with Ohio attorney, Andy Young, who like Michael, specializes in trucking cases. Andy’s journey over the past 20 years of practicing law and ultimately specializing in trucking cases started by accident when his hobby for rehabbing trucks, as well as starting a trucking company, turned out to be more valuable than he expected where he was being asked to speak at various trucking litigation groups. Essentially h

In part one of this series, I noted that “awakening your leadership potential” is all about deploying and leading in your area of talents. I also noted that if you discover your talents and deploy it, then you are a leader in that field. In this part two, we will be looking at what makes a leader tick and formidable. We shall be looking at some essential qualities of leaders, who have found their talents, and then turned them into profit. Quality leaders are prepared in t

It is important for a leader to undergo training so as to acquire good leadership skill development techniques. This should mainly cover issues such as employee supervision, management and leadership. The leader who is able to acquire these skills is able to train and motivate his/her employees to success. After training, a leader should acquire vital techniques which include the following: How to LeadrnThe manager will be trained to be a good leader. He/she should lead by ex

Take a minute and mentally put yourself in a place that you love. You love the sights, the sounds, the activity you are engaging in. If there are others around they are people you are excited to be with. Take a minute and put yourself in that situation mentally right now. Now, imagine that I wanted to take you from that place to some new situation or environment that you’re not all that familiar with, but it’s a place I honestly believe will be even better for you. Even k

People all over the world love Moroccan rugs . The Berber tribe is responsible for their identity. Berber tribes excel at weaving these rugs by hand. Moroccan berber rugs are made from the wool of a specific species of sheep found on the Atlas Mountain. Because of their distinct features and eye-catching designs, they are common among many people.

Just coming off a vacation gives me a good chance to think about work-life balance. As leaders and achievers it is a topic often discussed in workshops and in casual conversations. People are so busy and feel pulled in so many directions that they find this idea of work-life balance elusive. Let`s start with three truths about this topic, then share some strategies to help you move toward the work-life balance you desire. Three Truths Judgment gets in the way. One work-life b

"A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step" and can only be taken one step at a time. If you don't let a teacher know what level you are -- by asking a question, or revealing yourrnignorance -- you will not learn or grow. You cannot pretend for long, for you will eventually be found out. Admission of ignorance is often the first step in our education. Our level of development is fairly obvious with tennis or piano playing, where it is impossible to pretend. But it is

A state of danger is where something is perceived to be at risk. The state of the world right now has us concerned that what we have come to rely on is at risk. A shift is happening which is both welcomed and feared. How did we get to this place? We’re highly intelligent beings. How did we allow greed, consumerism, and over-spending to spin out of control? Have you ever thought or heard yourself and others say “There just isn’t enough?” or some variation of this? Not

Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever thought about what your "a-game" looks like, or what you need to do to "bring it?" When most people think about bringing their "a-game" to the table, they usually think of high performance, winning awards, playing well, showing up 100%, being in the zone, being fully confident, being at the top of their game ... But do you ever think about what YOUR "a-game" means to you, personally? Or what you need to do to take care of yourself

Clients often ask me, "Why should I increase my visibility? Why can't I let my work speak for itself?" My traditional response has always been, "You can't assume decision-makers are aware of your accomplishments. How can you expect to get ahead if you're not noticed?" In light of today's difficult economy, my response has changed. I now advise clients: "How do you expect to keep your job if you're not noticed?" As more and more companies resort to layoffs, now is not the ti

Do you have trouble making decisions? Are you stuck in a situation that is causing you stress, and don’t know how to fix it? nnThe ACT methodology is a tool that you can use to help you sort out your options and arrive at a decision. At the heart of each issue, challenge, or decision are three choices. You can choose to Accept, Change, or Terminate the situation. At each step you consider the energetic and logical consequences of your actions until you reach the best outcom

In order for woman to succeed in the world of business, the skill of influencing is very important. Whether you are a manager, an entrepreneur or a group leader, having influence is something which will help you achieve success. In order to be successful, you need to have the support of the people with whom you work. Not only is the support of the people within your business important, you need the support from people outside your organization as well. Customers, staff, finan

Our President for the first time today discuss his strategy for dealing with the nation’s $14.3 debt. It’s part of a painful negotiation with Republicans over the president’s pending request to increase the government’s borrowing limit, now less than $80 billion away. But as usual in Washington we as Americans cannot get a straight answer …..always a line or a guilt trip of who will do with out. But the reality is the president needs at least $900 billion to even re

Too often I hear the word "leader" misused. It's a sad fact that many business professionals don't see themselves as leaders, mainly because "leader" is a term typically linked to people in positions of formal authority. This is a fallacy that undermines performance, in all aspects of life. Someone said to me recently, "I don't see myself as a leader. I do not feel comfortable embracing that label. I feel like it isn't something I have earned." This is a dangerous point of vi

Leadership enables a person to get a job done, using different styles of leadership. Over the years, experts have observed 2 kinds of leadership behaviours. The first kind that has been identified is task leadership. This is the sort of behaviour which leads a group of employees towards achieving a goal of the organization. The second type that was identified is social leadership. This is the kind of behaviour which focuses on keeping good and cordial relations between employ

I recently met with a manager who is transitioning into a new role (fantastic!!) and is training her replacement.nnWe were discussion the difficulties of handing over her work to the new hire, so just for fun I role-played how delegation usually works:nnStep 1... DELEGATE: Give them a task.nnStep 2... PROD: Follow up a few days later and ask "Did you get it done?" (accompanied by a wild finger-jabbing gesture).nnStep 3... Wake up to the fact that you've just become your worst

For students, coordination can be a real pain. It takes a lot of energy and time for group work compared to individual work. Learning a new language in a group means coordinating schedules, arranging meets, and do the requisite correspondence. Decisions, when made, must be done collectively. The learning progress of every group member must be included. Task interdependence rears its head in this regard. Since language is best learned when members talk to each other, the stude

Leadership theories are all about how best someone directs their group and or even themselves in achieving their goals thus becoming successful. People do apply leadership theories in their day to day business even without knowing it. These theories do apply to group members if you are involved in group studies at school and or when working as a group while in the office. Leadership theories can also be applicable to individuals who often keep to themselves or their work does

Almost every aspect of the human lifestyle is now digitized. Marketing is one such area that has been effectively optimized due to technology. The continually advancing technology has paved the way for a new form of marketing and advertising called digital marketing. Growing businesses are no longer dependent on traditional and outdated marketing strategies to expand their business model. Introduction to digital marketing The Internet is a vast place and has twice the reach o

Technology is not the root cause of identity theft, data breach or cyber crime.rnWe are.rn rnToo often, we use technology as a scapegoat, providing a convenient excuse to sit apathetically in our executive offices, unwilling to gaze at the enormous profit-sucking sound that is mass data theft. Like a flooded river, poor privacy leadership flows inexorably downhill from the CEO, until at last, it undermines the very banks that contain it.rn rnCorporate boardrooms across Americ

Ever since the method of directed thought has taken root in the human thinking process, many have wondered upon a significant question, is leadership a skill that one is born with or can years of training and study instill the talents of a leader? The answer to this particular question is different according to every school of thought, but nonetheless, there are certain qualities that identify and differentiate a functioning leader. What we as modern human beings should keep

I like the definition of leadership by Reverend Michael D. Noonan at Wikipedia. It says that leadership is "ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen." In my opinion, this is the essence of the concept of leadership. Think about it. Leaders create a way. They do not lag behind the crowd. They do not control the crowd. They do not command and annoy people. True leaders explore and create a way, so that their subordinates

Today in 1961, Roger Maris broke the single season home run record of the legendary Babe Ruth when he hit his 61st of the season. Babe’s former record had stood since 1927, and had been seen by many as untouchable (Maris’ record was topped 37 years later and has since been eclipsed again). The home run is a celebrated part of baseball – with one swing of the bat, one or more runs are scored. And since the time of the Babe, both the home run, and the home run hitter have

Leadership Development is something that organizations are paying a lot of attention to in India. Let us understand why Indian leaders need to have a mindset shift to be comfortable with this role.rnIn the Indian context what takes precedence – Competition or Collaboration? Are we taught to trample over people in order to succeed? Is success based on where you are in the pecking order?Are we nurturing and creating just elitist management graduates or are we encouraging the

Some people think that leaders are inborn but there are the people who think that although some people have inherited leadership traits but it is also possible to learn leadership traits. Only desire and willpower is needed to transform you to a good leader. Continuous process of self study, education, experience and training is required to develop a good leader. When you are at the highest level of teamwork, you must know and do some things extraordinary to inspire your team

I don’t really watch it, but the tenth anniversary of American Idol’s first show got me thinking about popularity. Millions of people watch this show, and engage with it by voting for the singers they like best. All of the contestants are vying to win the hearts and votes of the viewers. At some level they are all aiming for popularity. Popularity is a word that we all have feelings about. It probably goes back to high school (or before) – and your feelings about it are

A Leadership program is a specific management program that provides you with an edge to succeed both in your professional and personal endeavors. Leadership programs are not just the pre-requisites for personal and professional development, but also for organizational success.rnThese programs develop better negotiation and decision –making skills in business leaders at different hierarchies. Some leadership programs aim at developing working in team ability. These programs

After more than 4000 private phone calls were illegally hacked by News of the World reporters (causing a scandal that shut down the high-circulation, highly profitable newspaper) journalist Carl Bernstein quoted an employee who said that media baron Rupert Murdoch "invented and established this culture in the newsroom, where you do whatever it takes to get the story, take no prisoners, destroy the competition, and the end will justify the means."rn rnThe Atlanta (Georgia) Pub

Before our Leadership Retreat last week, I had a conversation with my wise mother where I asked her: "If you had five days with a room full of new-school leaders that were eager to make a greater impact on the world, what would be the one message that you would want them to hear?" Almost without hesitation, she said: "Make sure they deeply understand the importance of knowing what they want." As I sat with her words, I realized how simple and truly profound they were. You see

rn Create a clearly defined purpose, intention, and intended outcome. Standing in the future visualize what have you created and accomplished – then work back to now to put a plan into action. Move from survive to thrive. It’s a mental shift. Focus your energy on what is possible vs. what could go wrong. Give of what you have to make a difference and what you have will expand. What do you have? Take inventory, what are your core assets – value, acknowledge and use them.

Imagine walking into an upscale restaurant with a sumptuous buffet – offering a wide range of tantalizing salads, entrées and desserts. (Perhaps a more clear picture will come on Thursday at a Thanksgiving dinner). There are all sorts of foods, providing you with a wide variety of options. I am about to lay out a different kind of buffet for you – a series of ways leaders attempt to achieve goals after they have been set. DIY. After the goal is set, you can decide to Do