Life is a long process of getting used to things you started out to change. – Frank A. Clark As the story goes, it was on June 4, 1783 at the market square of a French village of Annonay, not far from Paris, that a smoky bonfire on a raised platform was fed by wet…
DetailsLeaders are celebrated, while managers are often criticized, but a combination of the two could be just what the economy needs. There’s been an ongoing debate for the past five decades and I’m not talking about Medicare or why the Chicago Cubs haven’t won a title since 1908. This debate has to do with leaders…
DetailsWhat makes someone an effective leader? Take a moment and think of the person whom you have most admired/enjoyed having as a leader. Consider not only your work experience, but also your volunteer activities, religious affiliations, and recreational pursuits.
DetailsJFK, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa. You probably think the only thing they have in common is that they are all now deceased. Guess again. When they were alive, each of them seemed to have some sort of aura to them, which many considered to be the gift of charisma. In fact,…
DetailsIn a perfect world, leaders take the blame, but share the credit. Too bad the world is far from perfect. Oftentimes leaders take more than their fair share of credit, but hardly any blame. Why is that? Do leaders think they are invisible to blame but are always responsible for a company’s success? Listen, just…
DetailsThe research evidence continues to trickle in. The study I write about today was conducted by Green Peak Partners with the involvement of Cornell’s Industrial and Labor Relations School (my graduate alma mater, as it happens).
With business demands and the amount of information increasing, it is tempting for managers to hunker down and spend most of their attention on tasks – dealing with customer/supplier issues, operational issues, answering email, endless meetings and the never ending to-do list.
Ever wondered what it felt like to be a lab rat? Constantly being observed and tested. Literally put under the microscope; each action scrutinized. Well, if you’re a leader – you might understand that feeling. As leaders, we must realize that, like it or not, we are being watched. Closely. The nuances of our behavior…
DetailsI don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody – Bill Cosby Ask any Green Bay Packers fan and they will tell you without any hesitation that the infamous call at the end of the game against Seattle was blown and it cost them the game. Before…
DetailsI recently heard Marc Benioff say that working at Apple changed his career perspective. The great Steve Jobs turned the hot box programming room into an extended organizational culture. Finding “doors” in programming function became a quest for a new frontier. It was no longer about writing better code; it became a mission to change…
DetailsWhen I was a child, I was often awakened by rumblings in the back of the house while the sun was still down. Occasionally, I would brave the cold air in my Incredible Hulk underwear to see my father suiting up for work. He was up early, home late and always in a suit. I…
DetailsHewitt Associates have come out with another informative study, called The Current State of Performance Management and Career Development 2010. They surveyed HR professionals from 193 employers. On the performance side, it looks at how companies are using performance goals (the “what”) and behavioral competencies (the “how”) in their year end performance assessment process. Here…
DetailsI can’t help but notice the abundance of articles dedicated to workplace stress. Bottom line: Workplace stress is a very real phenomenon that can bring about an array of health concerns. It’s no secret that stress is a major contributor to employee absenteeism and low morale, which can result in a substantial loss of productivity.…
DetailsCertain words and phrases block connections cold and at the same time can make people steaming mad Here are some tips on language, words and phrases to avoid:
DetailsFront line supervisors and managers can place employees in a prison of performance by affixing a label. Once the label is attached to the person it can prevent the leader from seeing the potential for the individual. If the label is troublemaker, then the supervisor or manager might be reinforcing the very behaviour they would…
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