Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

“Helping others is a good thing, but even the most well-intentioned attempts can be undermined by a simple truth: We almost always focus on “fixing” people – correcting problems or filling the gaps between where they are and where we think they should be. Unfortunately, this doesn’t inspire sustained learning or positive change. Even when people do respond, they often do so out of obligation rather than motivation,” explain the authors of the book,  Helping People Change: Coaching With Compassion For Lifelong Learning And Growth . The authors,  Richard Boyatzis ,  Melvin Smith  and  Ellen Van Oosten , teach that the most effective way to help people learn and change is to connect to a positive vision of themselves, or to an inspiring dream they’ve long held. Having a personal vision is one of the most powerful ways to engage neurologically and emotionally. Plus, great coaches know that people draw energy from their visions and dreams, and that same energy sustains their efforts to chan

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, author of the new book,  Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook , explains that  high-performing teams have these eight attributes :  The team has time to meet and get to know each other.  All team members participate to establish team goals.  Each team member can describe the team’s primary purpose and expected goals.  Team members have responsibilities in their area of expertise and are aware of how they can actively contribute to achieving the team’s goals.  The team has a problem-solving culture and is encouraged to take risks.  The team is capable of making decisions that are backed by the entire team in a timely manner.  Team members feel free to voice conflicting points of view.  Both the team and the individuals receive feedback regularly, and there is a mindset of continuous improvement.

Jenn Lim   is the CEO Of Delivering Happiness, a company she and Tony Hsieh (the late CEO of Zappos.com) cofounded to create happier company cultures for a more profitable and sustainable approach to business.  Lim ’s mission is to teach businesses how to create workplaces—led with happiness and humanity—that generate more profit, sustain all people at every level of the organizations, and share how we can make an impact by being true to our authentic selves.  It’s this mission that drove Lim to author her book,  Beyond Happiness, How Authentic Leaders Prioritize Purpose And People For Growth And Impact .  Describing her book, Lim says, “No matter what role you have at your organization, this life-changing guide will enable you to get to the core of who you are, live with purpose through the work you do every day, and spread that power to others in your business and beyond.”   Jenn Lim   Recently, Lim shared these additional insights with us:  Question: What is "Beyond Happiness&q

   In  Paul Falcone ’s book,  75 Ways For Managers To Hire, Develop And Keep Great Employees , he recommends asking new employees the following questions 30, 60 and 90 days after they were hired:   30-Day One-on-One Follow-Up Questions Why do you think we selected you as an employee? What do you like about the job and the organization so far? What’s been going well? What are the highlights of your experiences so far? Why? Tell me what you don’t understand about your job and about our organization now that you’ve had a month to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Have you faced any unforeseen surprises since joining us that you weren’t expecting?   60-Day One-on-One Follow-Up Questions Do you have enough, too much or too little time to do your work? Do you have access to the appropriate tools and resources? Do you feel you have been sufficiently trained in all aspects of your job to perform at a high level? How do you see your job relating to the organization’s mission and vi

“Four out of five adults report feeling that they have too much to do and not enough time to do it,” reports  Ashley Whillans , author of the book,  Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life . “These time-poor people experience less joy each day. They laugh less. They are less healthy and less productive.” And, in one study, time stress produced a stronger negative effect on happiness than unemployment.   Drawing on the latest science, Whillans teaches us how to escape the time traps that make us feel this way and keep us from living our best lives.   She explains that the  six most common time traps  are: Constant connection to technology. Obsession with work and making money. Limited value placed on time. Busyness as a status symbol. Aversion to idleness. The Yes…and then regret it effect.   Her playbook shows you how to :   take back the time you lose to mindless tasks and unfulfilling chores. improve your "time affluence.” free up seconds, minutes, and hours

During these past two years, the pandemic inspired many of us to question what we value, therefore, making for an ideal time to read,  Be Where Your Feet Are , the book by  Scott O’Neil . The book lays  out the  seven principles  needed to keep you present, grounded, and thriving in work, home, and everything in between.   “The pandemic has forced us to check ourselves, slow down, and even to pause time and space to reflect on the lives we were leading,” says O’Neil.   O’Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, a global sports and entertainment company that includes the Philadelphia 76errs (NBA) and the New Jersey Devils (NHL).   In the book, O’Neil shares his deeply personal, honest, uplifting, inspiring and sometimes tragic story of grief and healing and his discovered most valuable lessons in what keeps him present, grounded and thriving as a father, husband, coach, mentor, and leader.   The seven principles O’Neil outlines are : Be Where Your Feet Are Change th

Today's Flashback: A look back to 2019... Each year, after reading and reviewing dozens of new leadership books, I select my pick for the year's  best new leadership book . For 2019, that book is Paul Smith's,  The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell , released this past summer. I selected this book as best for its innovative format, timely and pertinent content, and how easy it is to put what Paul teaches to immediate use as a leader. All of Paul Smith’s three books on storytelling are must-reads for business leaders, salespeople and parents. And,  The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell , is yet another required read for leaders – managers, CEOs and team leaders. “ Every great leader is a great storyteller. And, the first and most important part of being a great storyteller is knowing what stories to tell ,” explains Paul. In fact, “ What stories you tell is more important than how you tell them ,” he adds. Part of an innovative book format from  IgniteReads , Paul’s new book feature

Within the workplace there are Contributors and Impact Players – each representing a distinct way of working – the first leads to a job well done while the other carves a path to true leadership and generates immense value.  More specifically,  Liz Wiseman , author of the new book,  Impact Players , explains that:  While others do their job, Impact Players figure out the real job to be done. While others wait for direction, Impact Players step up and lead. While others escalate problems, Impact Players move things across the finish line. While others attempt to minimize change, Impact Players are learning and adapting to change. While others add to the load, Impact Players make heavy demands feel lighter.  “ Impact Players  is written for aspiring leaders, striving professionals who want to be more successful at work, increase their influence, and multiply their impact,” explains Wiseman. “It is also a book for today’s leaders, those managers who want to cultivate more of this mindset

According to  Ron Ricci  and  Carl Wiese , authors of the book,  The Collaboration Imperative , high performing teams have the following characteristics: People have solid and deep trust in each other and in the team's purpose--they feel free to express feelings and ideas. Everybody is working toward the same goals. Team members are clear on how to work together and how to accomplish tasks. Everyone understands both team and individual performance goals and knows what is expected. Team members actively diffuse tension and friction in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The team engages in extensive discussion, and everyone gets a chance to contribute--even the introverts. Disagreement is viewed as a good thing and conflicts are managed.  Criticism is constructive and is oriented toward problem solving and removing obstacles. The team makes decisions when there is natural agreement--in the cases where agreement is elusive, a decision is made by the team lead or executive sponsor, aft

“Being human and doing what needs to be done are not mutually exclusive. In truth, doing hard things and making difficult decisions is often the most compassionate thing to do,” explain the authors of the timely and compelling new book,   Compassionate Leadership:   How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way . Whether you are a seasoned leader or new in your leadership role, add this book to your list of must-read books during 2022. Authors  Rasmus Hougaard  and  Jacqueline Carter , explain that: Compassion  is the intention to be of benefit to others. Compassion is not about pleasing others and giving them what they want. For example, compassion can be tough and direct, such as addressing another person’s behavior if it is out of line. But it is done with the intention that helping them change will ultimately lead to better outcomes for everyone. Also, Hougaard and Carter share that  empathy and compassion are different from each other . “The two terms differ in that empathy is an emotion,

In their book,  Rapid Realignment , authors  George Labovitz  and  Victor Rosansky , reveal the most common responses from  thousands of managers and workers  when they were asked to think of the best boss they ever had, and then answer the question: " What did that person do to qualify as your best boss ?" And,  those most common responses were : My best boss listened! My best boss backed me up. My best boss trusted me and respected me. My best boss gave me feedback. My best boss left me alone. What else would you add to this list?

Bill Berman  and  George Bradt , authors of the book,  Influence and Impact , explain the importance of helping your employees to understand what their jobs entails, and what the culture expects, so they can do the work you need from them the most.  More importantly, they say that it is better for you as a leader to  coach employees rather than supervise  them. And, as you coach, they recommend you:  Ensure the employee fully understands their job responsibilities. Pave the way for the employee to be successful. Give them the time, resources and encouragement they will need. Help them know themselves better. Consider a personality assessment by a trained evaluator so they understand their styles and preferences. Help them know the business. Ensure they know the organization’s mission, vision and purpose, business strategies and cultural norms. Help them know you. Help them to really understand what you really need from them to make you and the organization successful. Help them know th

You can't lead if your employees, team or followers don't trust you. Building trust takes  energy, effort and constant attention  to how you act. To help build trust, follow these 16 tips , recommended by author  Susan H. Shearouse : Be honest Keep commitments and keep your word Avoid surprises Be consistent with your mood Be your best Demonstrate respect Listen Communicate Speak with a positive intent Admit mistakes Be willing to hear feedback Maintain confidences Get to know others Practice empathy Seek input from others Say "thank you"