Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

With only one one day left of 2017, it's time to identify your New Year's Resolutions for 2018. To get you started, how about selecting one or more of these 70 New Year's resolutions for leaders? Perhaps write down five to ten and then between now and tomorrow, think about which couple you want to work on during 2018. Don't micromanage Don't be a bottleneck Focus on outcomes, not minutiae Build trust with your colleagues before a crisis comes Assess your company's strengths and weaknesses at all times Conduct annual risk reviews Be courageous, quick and fair Talk more about values more than rules Reward how a performance is achieved and not only the performance Constantly challenge your team to do better Celebrate your employees' successes, not your own Err on the side of taking action Communicate clearly and often Be visible Eliminate the cause of a mistake View every problem as an opportunity to grow Summarize group consensus after

In his book,  The Responsible Leader ,  Tim Richardson  explains that to create a  high-performance culture , you need to  plan and prepare  for the following moments to ensure the conversations surrounding them are both meaningful and intentional: recruitment and induction of new team members performance management discussions promotion interviews and talent management discussions coaching discussions customer sales presentations handling customer complaints and problems briefings to the press, analysts and wider market senior leaders' contact with, and briefings to, teams across the organization internal presentations with executive committees team meetings and management meetings Richardson's advice to  improve the quality of these conversations  is to consider: How clear is the principal message for the conversation?  How can you ensure that the content of the discussion is focused on the key message(s)? How can you ensure the quality of the listening

Here are the  seven smart things  you can do to  succeed in the future , according to leadership expert. John Baldoni, in his book,  Lead With Purpose : Make purpose a central focus. Instill purpose in others. Make employees comfortable with ambiguity. Turn good intentions into great results. Make it safe to fail (as well as prevail). Develop the next generation. Prepare yourself.

I'm a big fan of the magazine,  Experience Life .  Particularly the monthly  Perspective  column by  Bahram Akradi , the founder and CEO of  Life Time Fitness . Akradi tackled  self-reflection  awhile back. He firmly believes the business model that if you aren't innovating you are dying. And, to innovate, you have to regularly fine-tune both your business and your life. What better way to do that than to ask yourself  each day these four questions , says Akradi: Where did I do some good or make some progress today? Where did I let myself or others down? What can I do to keep my good habits going? What can I do to address any negative triggers or trends before they get out of hand? Thanks Bahram for this great advice.

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 s

"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."   - Maya Angelou

Here are some tips for leaders responsible for writing an effective annual report for their nonprofit organization. Consider making these  objectives  for your report: To demonstrate accomplishments ( not activities ) ( results  and how you did it). To recognize important people (volunteers, donors, major funders, partners). To provide an account of your organization's work for the past year. To share your mission with a wide audience. To generate new donations, retain donors and grow partnerships. Consider these  audience sectors  when writing your report: Donors Volunteers Community leaders Future board members Supporters (in-kind) Elected officials  Potential partners, grant funding entities Allow  three to four months to prepare your report : Create and outline Gather an organize content Engage your management team Design Review/Proof Print Distribute Consider packaging your report with a  theme , such as one of these: Transformation Da

In addition to  Laurie Sudbrink 's,  Leading With GRIT , being a great book for leaders, it's packed with powerful leadership and life quotes. Here are some of my favorites: Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are - Kurt Cobain The respect you show to others (or lack thereof) is an immediate reflection on your self respect - Alex Elle You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - Harper Lee People only see what they are prepared to see - Ralph Waldo Emerson We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give - Winston Churchill If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you - Fred Devito The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old but on building the new - Socrates The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to rely - Anonymous Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity - Simon Weil Good leaders inspire peo

I really appreciate author  Valerie M. Grubb 's broader than typical definition of  work ethic for leaders , as she details it in her book,  Clash of the Generations . Here is what she says defines  work ethic for leaders : Honest . Be truthful in your dealings with employees, vendors, customers, and anyone else with whom you come in contact on behalf of the company. Full of Integrity . Maintain high-quality standards despite schedule pressures. Demonstrate and uphold values and principles that create a climate of trust. Law-abiding . Act within the statutes of the law and the company's rules and regulations. Trustworthy . Speak the truth even when no one else does. Be candid and forthcoming. Give credit freely for others' accomplishments. Stand by your commitments and own up to your mistakes.  Fair . Be fair and just in dealings with employees. Value and support diversity and inclusion across the board. Respectful of others . Display grace under pressure and do

Here are some good tips for leading a successful business operation from the handy booklet,  144 Ways To Walk The Talk ,  by  Eric Harvey  and  Al Lucia : Involve your team in setting standards that are achievable but also require everyone to stretch their knowledge and skills. Remember that regardless of what you say, it is the performance you're willing to accept that becomes your true standard. Work as a team to stay abreast of technology advancements. Have different employees read different trade and professional magazines and blogs. Ask others to share key learning from workshops, webinars, seminars and conferences they attend. Make it easy via meetings and or within an Intranet forum/Blog area to share what everyone is learning and hearing. Ask each member of your group to identify the three most significant obstacles to their performance. Create a master list and develop strategies to eliminate them. Then, reward employees for identifying obstacles!

To help you bring out the best in your team, you need to get close and understand their skills, abilities, and motivations. So, the authors of the book,  Your First Leadership Job , recommend you hold  getting-to-know-you conversations  with each of your direct reports. Ask these  open-ended questions . Let each team member know the purpose of the meeting in advance. And, don't cheat by adding in work-specific questions. What do you enjoy doing most as part of your work? Why? What do you  miss most about the jobs you've had in the past? Why? What things about your current job do you enjoy the least? Why? How do you cope with or relieve stress? To help you do your job, what could I change about: Your work environment? The content of your work? How you get your work done? What form of recognition do you prefer or not prefer?

"Connection is what transforms a dog-eat-dog environment into a sled-dog team that pulls together," says  Michael Lee Stallard , author of the book,  Connection Culture . "Connection builds an emotional bond that promotes trust, cooperation, and esprit de corps among people in the workplace." Based on  shared identity, empathy, and understanding , connection moves primarily self-centered individuals toward group-centered membership. "Without that sense of connection, employees will never each their full potential," states Stallard. The  10 ways you can improve your connection skills  are to: Recognize varying connection needs Be present in conversations Develop the ability to empathize Develop the habit of emphasizing positives Control your tone of voice Negotiate with the mindset to solve a problems rather than to win Provide autonomy in execution Learn to apply the five languages of appreciation  Apologize when you make a mistake Deve

Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead , gives readers practical guidance and concrete techniques to help leaders become more visionary. In his book,  Rob-Jan de Jong  provides the developmental framework for visionary capacity, focusing on two key skills: The ability to see change early The ability to connect the dots Rob-Jan de Jong De Jong makes a clear distinction between the company vision and your personal vision. And, in this book, he helps you increase your  personal visionary capacity  for your personal leadership whether or not you are hierarchically in a senior position. The book includes many exercises and examples, along with QR codes to access videos with additional content that can be viewed on your Smartphone. Some of de Jong's tips for  how to think like a visionary and be a source of inspiration  to your organization and teams include: Deliberately break your normal, everyday patterns. Develop a set of appreciative questions aimed at

Soon, I will announce my choice for best book about leadership for 2017. In the meantime, let's flash back to last year's winner. Here is that blog post from about a year ago... After reading nearly 30 new books about leadership this past year, my pick for  2016's best new leadership book  is,  Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change , by  H. James Dallas . Technically, the book came out in the fall of 2015, but gained its popularity and momentum in 2016, hence my selection as my 2016 pick. Virtually every business is undergoing change. And, one of the most difficult things for a leader to do is to successfully lead a change initiative. And, change is what most employees fear most. That's why, says Brown that on average nearly 75 percent of change initiatives fail. What's more... When the rate of external change exceeds the rate of internal change, the end is in sight. Fortunately, Brown has written what I consider to be one of the most straight-fo

In the book,  The Optimistic Workplace , author  Shawn Murphy , explains that the following beliefs are essential to helping create a  positive work experience : The team is more important than any individual . For optimism to be strong, a cohesive team is vital. People need to believe the team will be there for them when needed. A team is weakened when the first priority is the needs of each person, or when ego dictates a team's actions or inaction. And, avoid relying on the usual suspects, the same few superstars, to handle high-profile projects. There's value to experiencing joy at work . Joy can open brains to better see connections and various options to solve work problems. Joy is about playing. Play at work is useful when creativity and innovation are needed. The usefulness of creativity and innovation at the workplace is linked to increasing employees' knowledge and skills.  Doing good is good for business . It's not just about philanthropy. Do good by n

In addition to your 2017 New Year's resolution and the goal that you've be working on this year, add reading The  School of Greatness  to your "to do" list before year's end. It's a highly uplifting and motivational book on how to strive for greatness in your everyday life. Specifically, author  Lewis Howes , shares his progression of a series of lessons --  eight areas  that help you focus on continual improvement: Create a vision. Turn adversity into advantage. Cultivate a champion's mindset. Develop hustle. Master your body. Practice positive habits. Build a winning team. Be of service to others. Packed with exercises, tools, tips and examples, the book makes for a perfect read at the start of the new year.

The Art of Change Leadership   demystifies the psychology behind our reactions to change and offers a powerful collection of tools to inspire individual and collective transformation quickly and more effectively, explains author of the book,  Cheryl Cran . The book teaches you how to: Leverage your current technical knowledge to increase the rate of innovation. Use the cycle of change to foresee and handle change-related issues affecting yourself, others, and business. Raise your emotional intelligence to match your IQ. Guide "change" initiatives with repeatable success by using the reliable three-step change model. Cran also explains the  differences between a Change Manager and a Change Leader . For example: A Change Manager creates a plan, directs projects and people to achieve a goal. In contrast, a  Change Leader sets the compelling vision; tells a story that includes the hero's journey for each person involved . In addition, a  Change Lead

Prepare to be inspired, impressed and motivated by personal, real-life stories and case studies from 70 women leaders in the new book, Wisdom Warriors , authored by Carol Seymour . Carol Seymour Highly readable and relatable, this collection of enlightening profiles will help readers, male and female, to find the strength they need to define and achieve success in all aspect of their lives. The book includes discussions about: living intentionally and authentically how to develop and demonstrate executive presence the importance of practicing self-care recognizing the difference between strengths and gifts -- and why that is important You'll also find lots of powerful quotes from today's women leaders, including these two of my favorites from the book: " Not everything can be as important and as urgent as everything else, because then you're just busy " - Annemieke van der Werff (Chief Human Resource Officer for the Americas/MUFG Union Ban

One of my favorite parts of  Joe Sweeney 's book,  Moving the Needle , is the section where he recommends you ask yourself these  six questions before you go to bed each night : What was the best thing that happened today? What am I most grateful for today? What did I do to live my ideal day today? What is one new thing I learned today? What did I do to meet my goals today? What am I most looking forward to tomorrow? And, by jotting down your answers to these thoughtful and positive in nature questions sets you in the right frame of mind for waking up in the morning!

Having a mentor is one of the best things you can do to advance your career as a leader. So, decide today to secure a mentor who will work with you during 2018. Make that one of your New Year’s resolutions. A mentor can benefit leaders new to their leadership role and they can benefit experienced and seasoned leaders, as well. A strong mentoring relationship allows the mentor and the mentee to develop new skills and talents, to build confidence, and to build self-awareness. Proper mentoring takes a commitment from both parties and it takes time to develop and to reap the rewards of the relationship. Plan to work with your mentor for no less than three months, and ideally for six months or longer. When seeking out a mentor, think about these questions : 1.  Will the relationship have good personal chemistry? 2.  Can this person guide me, particularly in the areas where I am weakest? 3.  Will this person take a genuine interest in me? 4.  Does this person have the traits a

Ken Marlin 's book,  The Marine Corps Way To Win On Wall Street , is all about a Marine-turned-banker's tactics for succeeding ethically, and more specifically about  11 key principles from battlefield to boardroom . Ken Marlin "I wrote the book in part because of the bashing that corporate executives and Wall Street bankers have been receiving for many years in the press and in political circles. I wanted to show people a way to be successful on Wall Street and on Main Street that works better than the current system -- and allows you to be proud of how you did it," explains Marlin. The 11 key principles Marlin covers in his book are: Take the long view Take a stand Be the expert (or use one) Know the enemy Know what the objective is worth Know yourself Control the timing Negotiate from the high ground Seek foreign entanglements Trust  and  verify Be disciplined Ken Marlin Between 1970 and 1981, Marlin rose from the enlisted ranks to

Each year, around Thanksgiving time, I think about what I am thankful for. This year, I decided to once again take the time to make a list. A list of  10 things I am thankful for . What's on your list this   year?   And, what's on your list this year that wasn't on last year's list? Here is my list : Family and friends Employment, and a year of positive evolution for my workplace Technology, Blogs, Twitter and all social media sharing tools that help me to be a constant learner Health and all those who help me stay healthy and encourage me to reach my 2017 fitness goal -- which included running eight half marathons  Setting business and personal goals and working hard to reach or exceed them Good books (including ones the book club recommended) Nonprofit organizations that provide vital services and ways for me to volunteer and donate Music The ability to travel for vacations Readers, followers and guests of my Blog and of Twitter  @ericjacobsonkc Wo

“Making small changes to reach big goals is the answer,” says entrepreneur and bestselling author  Michael Alden  in his book,  5 % MORE: Making Small Changes To Achieve Extraordinary Results . “If you just put 5% more effort into any aspect of your life, you will not only achieve your goals, you will surpass them,” he explains. The book will be available in late August. “Far too often, people become paralyzed when they want to improve their lives, because the effort to reach their goals seems overwhelming,” adds Alden. “Or the opposite occurs. They decide to dive into something one hundred percent, but then quickly lose steam.” Therefore, Alden demonstrates that long-lasting success is based on small increases in effort. “Five percent is almost unnoticeable in terms of effort—but it accrues quickly, with each step boosting the baseline,” he declares. Although much of Alden’s advice is based on personal experience, observation, and common sense, he is careful to discuss

"Truly accountable leadership is the only way to build an organization that can survive and thrive in our increasingly complicated world," says  Vince Molinaro , author of his revised and updated bestseller,  The Leadership Contract . More specifically, Molinaro believes that a new set of leadership expectations is redefining how each of us will need to lead in the future. He explains that as a leader you will need to take accountability to: Align and engage Take an enterprise-wide perspective Build relationships Master uncertainty Develop other leaders Model the values And, to be a truly accountable leader, Molinaro says that you must serve the  five core obligations of leadership : Yourself Your customers Your organization Your employees Your communities One of my favorite parts of the book are the  Gut Checks for Leaders  at the end of each chapter. The Gut Checks list critical questions to ask yourself, such as: Do you lead every day with a

Set a good example for your employees and follow through on everything you say you are going to do. If you promise to get an employee an answer, get it for him or her. If you say you'll send a team member a report, do so. As the Nike campaign/slogan so aptly says, "Just Do It." Too many leaders don't follow through. Perhaps they get busy. Perhaps they forget. However, following through is critical to keeping your team effective and efficient. And it's necessary for gaining respect from your employees. Following through also means doing so in a timely fashion. If you take too long to follow through, it's as bad as not following through at all.

Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear.  “Feedback is all around you. Your job is to find it, both through asking directly and observing it,” says David L. Van Rooy, author of the book,  Trajectory: 7 Career Strategies to Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be . As today's guest post, Van Rooy offers these  six tips for how to get the feedback you need to improve performance at work . Guest Post By David L. Van Rooy 1.       Don’t forget to as k :  One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming things are going perfectly (until they make a catastrophic mistake). By not asking, you’re missing out on opportunities for deep feedback: the difficult, critical feedback that gives you constructive ways to improve. 2.       Make sure you listen :  Remember, getting feedback is about improving your performance, not turning it into a “you versus them” m

If you serve on a nonprofit Board, are the executive director for a nonprofit, or are responsible for raising funds for your nonprofit,  The Nonprofit Fundraising Solution , book by  Laurence A. Pagnoni  is a must-read for you. Pagnoni bridges the gap between theory and practical methods and shows you (often via  real-life case studies)  how to: increase your access to wealthy donors raise your community profile stretch gifts operate major campaigns avoid revenue plateaus create a fundraising culture within your organization take specific actions if your Board's core strength isn't fundraising conduct challenge gift campaigns integrate social media into your existing fundraising methods create a planned giving program When it comes to transforming prospects into donors, Pagnoni suggests you follow these basic five steps: Get to know your prospect Get your prospect involved Ask for a small gift of financial support Ask them to open their network of conta

If you lead a nonprofit organization, the one hour it will take you to read Peter F. Drucker's book called " The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization " will be well worth it. This book may fundamentally change the way you work and lead your organization. Perhaps one of most challenging questions Drucker asks the reader is: " Do we produce results that are sufficiently outstanding for us to justify putting our resources in this area ?" Because, Drucker argues that need alone does not justify continuing. Nor does tradition, if your results are not sufficiently outstanding. If you volunteer for a nonprofit or are seeking employment at a nonprofit, this book is also an insightful and inspiring read.

The Courage Solution , a book by  Mindy Mackenzie , is all about the simple truth that the only thing you can reliably change or control is yourself. So, that is why Mackenzie wrote her book -- to teach you how to take actions that ultimately will improve your impact on the job and increase your happiness and fulfillment in your career. Mackenzie's  quick-read strategies focus on these four key areas : Part 1: You First  offers techniques to take ownership and accountability for creating a career and life you love. Part 2: Lead Your Boss  describes proven techniques to transform your relationship with your boss. Part 3: Lead Your Peers  provides methods for accelerating positive peer relationships to improve business results. Part 4: Lead Your Team  gives approaches for generating and creating the most effective teams and having more fun while doing it. Mindy Mackenzie A preview of Mackenzie's advice on Leading Your Boss  includes: Intensely study your

"The clearer your company culture, the less likely it will be hijacked by the weaker personalities in your team," explains  Mary Christensen , author of the book,  Be A Network Marketing Leader . "A few guidelines will ensure a level playing field for all team members as they pursue their individual goals." Christensen's  recommended eight guidelines  are: We respect each other. We support each other. We appreciate everyone's contribution. We're always professional. We operate in a spirit of fun and friendship. We keep it positive. We're a gossip-free zone. We deal with our disagreements in private.

Here are some great tips from authors  Michael Mankins  and  Eric Garton  about how to  run meetings that work : Be sure a meeting is appropriate . Meetings are great for gathering input and coming to a group decision. They aren't so good for drafting a strategy document, for example. Ensure a meeting is the best way to get the job done. Set a clear -- and selective -- agenda . A clear agenda communicates priorities. It also tells people what they can safely postpone or ignore. Insist on advance preparation .  Practice good meeting hygiene . Start on time. Clarify the purpose of every meeting. Spell out people's roles in decisions. Create a decision log that captures every decision made in a meeting.  End early, particularly if the meeting is going nowhere . Mankins and Garton are the authors of the book,  Time, Talent, Energy .

Today's Leadership Thought: "The ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." - Albert Schweitzer

High-functioning and effective teams can disagree and still produce excellent products and results. Team members can also disagree and still care about each other. And, they can challenge each other to think differently. Best-selling leadership book authors  Scott J. Allen  and  Mitchell Kusy  recommend that leaders ask seven tough questions of their teams to help  maximize their results . Here are those questions to  ask each team member : What are some obstacles  affecting this team? What are opportunities  we could take advantage of that we have been largely ignoring? Where can you take greater ownership  on this team? Where have you let this team down ? Compared to other teams with which you are familiar,  how are we doing ? When was the last time you complimented the team  or one of its members? How open are you to giving direct feedback  to team members?