While it is hard to predict the future, leaders need to stay on top of trends. Here are some trends to watch for in leadership development. Change is everywhere. We work in a challenging and changing world. Generations are transitioning. Organizations are still struggling with where work should be...
In May of 2005, Andy Roddick, one of the top tennis players in the world at the time, was a favorite to win the Italian Masters tournament. Early on, Roddick’s skill was on full display: He beat his opponent Fernando Verdasco in the first set. He was winning the next set too; on the match point,...
Triple crown leaders—those who aspire to build excellent, ethical, and enduring organizations—have learned to go beyond their natural leadership style, flexing between what we call “steel and velvet,” the hard and soft edges of leadership, depending on the situation and the people involved. Steel...
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to executive leaders about how they run their businesses. I’ve noticed something interesting in these discussions: Even though there’s universal agreement that business success is centered around finding the right employees, many leaders use a...
“Quiet quitting,” one of the most talked about topics in management circles, is not a new phenomenon. The term, credited to Mark Boldger, an economist at Texas A&M, was used as early as 2009, and it’s been used millions of times over the past several months to lament a slump in ambition and...
We have all heard about the Great Resignation. The notion that many people are leaving their job or not returning to work has been a persistent theme of 2021 and 2022. There are any number of theories as to the cause of this trend: Pay scales were too low. Government benefits were too high...
Us/them thinking comes naturally to everyone, even children. Imagine giving blue shirts to one group of children and yellow to another. Us/them thinking will animate perception quickly. Children think, ‘My group is better than your group.’ One researcher proved this. “Kids started to think the...
Everyone gossips. Slander and backstabbing are destructive, but there’s a healthy side to gossip. When you say, “Your reputation precedes you,” you acknowledge the power of gossip. Gossip is one reason businesses grow or fail. Researchers define gossip as talking about someone who isn’t present....
Show up like a kid peeking over the fence. Better to live on your toes than stumble back on your heels. Successful leaders are prepared for action. They show up READY.Three ways to be ready to lead: #1. Ready to say YES: Consistent results require stable environments. ‘No’ protects the status quo;...
Every week brings more reminders of how unique and challenging a time we are living in. How and when will things stabilize? It’s becoming harder to know which indicators to trust. Momentum around the vaccines has been met with increasing concern over Delta and now Omicron. Lately, it’s a tough...
With the new evolving landscape, it is more important than ever to be a good leader to retain employees and keep them happy. With the new year coming sooner than later, now is a great time to consider additional steps that you can take to improve your leadership skills. That said, according to the...
Encourage people to speak with trusted peers, check in on them, and approve their solutions to stave off burnout. With the Covid-19 pandemic poised to begin its third year, business leaders face a host of significant challenges. Among the most significant is that in many industries demand exceeds...