What is it about the behavior of people who truly inspire their managers, who are the leaders we aspire to become? In perusing my files today, I came upon an anonymous article that identified seven traits shared among what the writer entitled ‘Truly Inspiring Leaders”. Based on interviews with thousands of executives, the author noticed a...Read More
Did you ever consider that listening can improve performance because ‘it is the front-end of decision-making’? Bernard Ferrari wrote in The McKinsey Quarterly that strong listening skills make a critical difference in the performance of senior executives. Unfortunately, he writes too that few are able to cultivate these necessary skills. Poor listening skills often ‘short-circuit...Read More
Steven Spielberg‘s movie Lincoln and Doris Kearns Goodwin‘s book from 2005 entitled Team of Rivals are both respectful appreciations of a quiet man who did extraordinary things. What are some of the lessons we can extract from a closer look at our 16th president? According to Bloomberg Businessweek, there are five behaviors of President Lincoln...Read More
Reid Hastie, a professor at the University of Chicago (must admit, my MBA alma mater) in behavioral science, wrote that “We know there was no single cause or event that set in motion the [financial] crisis and that the truth is complex and multicausal. So why do we keep seeking easy answers? It may be...Read More
Several weeks ago I wrote about the results of a survey I conducted on the subject of sabbaticals (or leaves of absence). The consultant I worked with on the research and I have now completed an even more thorough analysis of the implications, which I thought you would enjoy reading. INTRODUCTION Employee engagement is at...Read More
Many months ago I quoted IBM and McKinsey when I wrote about the influence personal behavior has on IT project success and direction. Recalling those two quotes: According to an IBM study, only 40% of projects meet schedule, budget and quality goals. Further, they found that the biggest barriers to success are people factors. McKinsey...Read More
Employee engagement is at its lowest point since WWII. My guess is that this is due to several factors: longer working hours, less internal and external mobility, ongoing organizational change, job insecurity, corporate rhetoric and reality not matching up, boomers stuck in positions awaiting retirement, and individuals not finding a purpose at work beyond just...Read More
Coaching Perfectionists Several years ago I wrote about what I learned from Daniel Goleman (who famously relates emotional intelligence with an ability to lead) and Dan Siegel, MD, when I attended Harvard’s Institute of Coaching Professional Association conference. I went on to tell you about some other news for coaches from Harvard’s Medical School, specifically coaching perfectionists, from...Read More
I had the good fortune of hearing Daniel Goleman and Dan Siegel speak at a recent Institute of Coaching Professional Association conference in Boston. Mr. Goleman popularized emotional intelligence for managers and Dan Siegel, MD, is a professor of psychiatry at UCLA’s School of Medicine. Both of them talked about the brain, and I wanted...Read More
Every Sunday the New York Times interviews executives who have a special message about or insight into leadership and their personal techniques for success. In this blog, I’d like to cover the essential points about leadership as described by James P. Hackett, president and CEO of Steelcase, the office furniture company based in Grand Rapids,...Read More
