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September 13th, 2018

What’s hot? Employers face the most acute talent shortage since 2006 (according to ManpowerGroup’s Talent Shortage Survey).  Couple that fact with a report from the Center for Creative Leadership that 40% of leaders hired at the senior level are pushed out, fail, or quit within the first 90 days.         So what? It’s […]

August 30th, 2018

What’s hot? What matters most is the leader’s approach to experience. As Robert J. Thomas points out in “Crucibles of Leadership”, successful leaders practice “strenuously as they perform”.           So what? Organizations can give managers at every level the opportunity to “practice as they perform” with 24/7 access to targeted leadership […]

August 16th, 2018

What’s hot? Social media platforms have made it easy to record, share, and access instructional videos.  However, research published in Psychological Science* reveals that “merely watching others could cause people to attempt skills that they might not be ready or able to perform themselves”.           So what? In today’s time-crunched, digital world, […]

August 2nd, 2018

What’s hot? Cornell University research* shows that immediate rewards increase intrinsic motivation, the positive feeling that comes from doing a task or activity and the factor that drives people to persist in the task after the reward is removed.             So what? When you give people an immediate bonus for […]

July 19th, 2018

What’s hot? History tells us that “followers” do not always follow. Some of the best followers are engaged. They confront, stand firm and otherwise ethically and firmly take a stand. Sometimes determination can turn to control and manipulation.               So What? Most manipulation entails an emotional ploy the other hopes […]

July 5th, 2018

What’s hot? Recent research reveals that the age-old Dale Carnegie advice to put yourself in another’s shoes isn’t an accurate way to determine what others are thinking or feeling.*               So what? These findings – if not explored – can send the wrong message to leaders and aspiring leaders.  […]

June 21st, 2018

What’s hot? In the book “Wait, What?” James Ryan, Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education, reminds us that clarity, compassion and wisdom come from asking questions. So what? If you are, or aspire to be, a leader there are bound to be occasions when you feel angry – because you’ve been hurt, are worried about […]

June 7th, 2018

What’s hot? Only 32% of working Americans report that their employer has taken new steps to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace according to a survey by the American Psychological Association. So what? Despite the fact that employers are slow to take steps, individual employees are taking action. Roughly 50% of U.S. workers […]

May 24th, 2018

What’s hot? The days of looking up the organization for someone to develop you are on the wane. So what? Even if your company doesn’t offer development programs, there are always opportunities to sharpen your leadership skills according to Libby Gill, author of “The Hope-Driven Leader.”           What to do? Gill […]

May 17th, 2018

What’s hot? You blew a critical deadline, blew a big sale, or blew up at a colleague. It happens. The question is: what do genuine leaders do when it happens?  According to a study by the Forum Corp, only 19% of leaders apologize because they fear they will look weak or incompetent. However, the reality is […]

May 10th, 2018

Q: What is resource intensive, emphasizes employee evaluation over development, tends to be retrospective, causes stress and is not convincingly linked to organizational effectiveness? A:  The annual performance review What’s hot? According to the Corporate Executive Board, 66% of employees surveyed report that their performance review process interferes with their job and 65% say it […]

May 3rd, 2018

What’s hot? There is a financial link between corporate culture and company performance.               So what? Corporate culture – shared assumptions, values and beliefs that influence how people behave, dress, act and perform in their jobs – can create additional market value for a firm according to a University […]

April 26th, 2018

What’s hot? We encourage leaders to seek and give more feedback. And, we recognize it is not always fun to be at the receiving end of criticism.  We also know that you can learn a lot from constructive feedback.  Rachel Fintzy, M.A., LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist and counselor in the areas of relationships, emotion regulation, […]

April 19th, 2018

What’s hot? A Human Resources leader made 60 Minutes! Cindy Robbins, Personnel Chief for Salesforce, was featured on the March 15th broadcast of 60 Minutes.  Robbins had done something that awe-inspiring leaders do – she spoke truth to power – by informing Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff that men and women were being paid unequally. Benioff […]

April 12th, 2018

What’s hot? Tina Arnoldi, a licensed professional counselor and a former technology director with a focus on the impact of the internet on mental health, reports that the more we use the web, the more we train our brains to be distracted.                   So what? Constant surfing […]

April 5th, 2018

What’s Hot? Aaron James, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, offers advice on how to mitigate A-HOLE’S toll on morale and productivity in his book “Assholes: A theory” published by Nicholas Brealey. So What? A-holes, as described by James, are people who “ interrupt too often, belittle colleagues, bark orders when a […]

March 29th, 2018

What’s Hot? Millions joined in national and world-wide rallies against gun violence on March 24, 2018.               So What? High school students organized, led, and staged a profound demonstration of what it takes to be leader. What to do? Follow their example: Stand up for right! Commit to leaving […]

March 22nd, 2018

What’s hot? Research conducted by Henry Evans and Colm Foster, emotional intelligence experts and authors of Step Up: Lead in Six Moments That Matter reveals that the best leaders do not repress their emotions.  Instead, they put them to work in positive ways.         So what?   Managers who fly into a rage always land badly.   Yet, […]