Overdoing your Strengths – The Tale of Two CEOs
“When all you have in your hand is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.” Abraham Maslow Self-Inflicted Wounds The nub of the issue is this; human nature is instinctual, visceral and human organizations are thereby “instinctual institutions.” Many leaders unknowingly run their companies in ways that are instinctual, natural and comfortable for them. And pay a terrible price, for so doing. Of course, you should always try “do what you are”, except of course, when you shouldn’t. Two CEOs: Jimmy and...
read moreHow Great Leaders Manage Change
As a discipline, the management of organizational change has been in existence for more than 50 years; yet nearly three-quarters of all such endeavors fail miserably. Not only do companies fall well short of their financial targets, but untold psychological damage is done, both to those who lose their jobs, and those who don’t. Traditionally, the blame for all this has been laid at the door of employees. The presumption has been that the leaders “did the right things,” but that try as they might, managers couldn’t get the people to...
read moreLeadership through Communication
Which of the following is the right thing to do? · Should you always tell people the truth, or only when it is expedient to do so? · Should you always keep people informed on their future, or should you only tell them when you think they need to know? · Should you keep your people in the loop, or should you keep them in the dark for as long as possible? As a leader, your answers reveal a great deal about your attitude towards communication. You can talk all day long about the need for transparency and...
read moreFinding the Balance in Self-Promotion
It’s been said that if you’re indispensable, then you can’t get promoted. While there’s some truth to that, promoting yourself too much can also backfire. You have to find a balance. It must be handled in the right way. No one likes someone who is in love with him- / herself. Psychologists call that narcissism. We all have something of a bent in this direction, but some people stand out as being more inclined in this way than others. Those who are like this don’t get promoted because they lack the diplomatic skills that are...
read moreLeadership through Communication
Which of the following is the right thing to do? Should you always tell people the truth, or only when it is expedient to do so? Should you always keep people informed on their future, or should you only tell them when you think they need to know? Should you keep your people in the loop, or should you keep them in the dark for as long as possible? As a leader, your answers reveal a great deal about your attitude towards communication. You can talk all day long about the need for transparency and openness, but unless you are willing to do it,...
read moreHow Your Professional Development Can Make You Stand Out
At one time, before technology toys ruled the roost, it was suggested that much of what children received for one Christmas could be re-wrapped and put under the tree the following year. That’s because they would have lost interest in those toys within a few days of the first holiday and by the next one would have forgotten about having received them at all. Many adults do exactly that to themselves every year. Come January 2nd, maybe before, they decide that next year will be different. That whatever it was they hoped to achieve,...
read moreListening with Purpose
Listening is a lost art. Few people know what it means; never mind how to do it. If actions truly speak louder than words, then the absence of the latter proves the former. Sitting in silence demonstrates that the purpose of doing so is to profit from whatever the other person has to say. Contrast this with what modern day listening has become. Conservations consist of people interrupting and talking over one another, and finishing the sentences of others. It’s not about learning; instead it’s about using the time while another speaks to...
read moreIt’s Up to You !
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” So says Cassius in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar. Although you’re not debating in a Roman portico, much of what is said by Cassius applies to you in your job and ultimately, in your career. That’s because your future is not determined by your stars, but by you. And only you can decide what goal to aim for. Your current job may be much less that you’d like it to be. It may even feel like a dead-end. More probably, it’s a stepping-stone...
read moreHow to Get the Results You Want with Quality Feedback
Probably the most effective way to get the results you want from someone is to give quality feedback. What does that consist of? Two things. The first is that it must be timely. The second is that it must be appropriate. Timely feedback Whether you have children or not, you know that the best time to give them feedback on their behavior is at the time you observe it. You praise them for good work and correct them when it isn’t up to scratch. And you know that they have understood what you said by what they do the next time. But...
read moreInnovative Leadership
In 2009, David Meerman Scott revealed the 325 most commonly used words and phrases found among more than 700K press releases issued by North American companies in the previous year. These expressions he termed gobbledygook because their meaning had become so diverse and watered down that no one could be certain what was intended. Pride of place went to the word “innovate” with more than 51K uses. Thus, this idea of organizational innovation led by an innovative leader is obscure at best. In truth, it can mean almost anything; and so...
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