Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Paul Smith’s books on storytelling are must-reads for business leaders, salespeople and parents. And, his latest book,  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 book features a bold design and expertly guides you through the 10 stories leaders need to master. You can read this book in an hour or less. However, plan to spend additional quality time crafting and practicing your versions of the 10 stories you’ll tell. Paul teaches you the importance of these  10 story categories , describes an example story for each, and provides you  tips to help you craft your own compelling story for each cate...

Here are ten questions (or bundles of questions) you should ask yourself to ensure you are thinking and acting like a  superboss . These are from  Sydney Finkelstein 's book,  Superbosses . Do you have a specific vision for your work that energizes you, and that you use to energize and inspire your team? How often do people leave your team to accept a bigger offer elsewhere? What's that like when it happens? Do you push your reports to meet only the formal goals set for the team, or are there other goals that employees sometimes also strive to achieve? How do you go about questioning your own assumptions about the business? How do you get your team to do the same about their own assumptions? How do you balance the need to delegate responsibilities to team members with the need to provide hands-on coaching to them? How much time do you usually spend coaching employees? When promoting employees, do you ever put them into challenging jobs where they potentially might fail? I...

During these past 1-1/2 years, the pandemic inspired many of us to question what we value – an ideal time for, Be Where Your Feet Are , the new book by Scott O’Neil , which 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 the Race ...

  Edward M. Marshall 's book,  Transforming The Way We Work -- The Power Of The Collaborative Workplace , remains relevant today, more than a decade after Marshall wrote it. Particularly useful is the book's section that teaches readers how to be a collaborative leader . Marshall says that there are  seven different, important roles and responsibilities of collaborative leaders when leading teams , and those leaders should select the appropriate style to meet the team's needs. The seven roles are : The leader as sponsor  -- You provide strategic direction, boundaries and coaching for the team. You also monitor progress and ensure integrity in the team's operating processes. The leader as facilitator  -- You ensure that meetings, team dynamics, and interpersonal relationships function effectively. You also ensure internal coordination of activities among team members. The leader as coach  -- You provide support and guidance and you serve as a sounding board....

Now is a perfect time to read the leadership book,  Leading With Gratitude , by authors  Adrian Gostick  and  Chester Elton .  The book provides managers and executives with easy ways to add more gratitude to the everyday work environment to help bolster moral, efficiency, and profitability.  Gostick and Elton also share  eight simple ways managers can show employees they are valued . Then, they supplement their insights and advice with stories of how many of today’s most successful leaders successfully incorporated gratitude into their leadership styles.  Recently, the authors answered this question for me:  Question : During this most unusual and challenging pandemic time why is it more important than ever to express gratitude? And how best should a leader do that?  Gostick and Elton : “Our research shows there is a staggering gratitude deficit in the work world, especially when times get tough. People are less likely to express gratit...

  In the new book, From the Bench to the Boardroom , Michael MacDonald shares his journey from humble beginnings in the outskirts of Philadelphia, to his college basketball career at Rutgers, to executive positions at Xerox and Medifast. The book (co-authored by Dick Weiss ) chronicles Michael’s story of going from an underdog athlete to a turnaround CEO, and how he took his student-athlete experience and translated those learned lessons to successes in his career. As a basketball player, Michael learned teamwork, courage, adaptability, and much more. As an business executive, he found the perfect environment to apply these skills. Michael’s inspirational and motivational story is filled with lessons for making the most of your opportunities, achieving success, staying relevant, leading with passion, and building your legacy .   Today, Michael shares these additional insights with us: Question: What inspired you and Dick to write the book? Michael : I was inspired...

  Accomplished leadership and executive coaches Bill Berman and George Bradt have discovered over the past 30 years that:   People lose their ability to influence others and impact the organizations they work at because they are not focused on the most essential, mission-critical business and cultural priorities of the organization.   From CEOs to first-line managers, Berman and Bradt explain that too often individuals are unintentionally misunderstanding critical aspects of their job. And, to often, these individuals do not understand the organization’s top priorities.   These discoveries encouraged Berman and Bradt to write their new book, Influence and Impact , which provides an easy-to-follow, common-sense approach to building influence at any level of an organization.   More specifically, they explain how to:   Evaluate what values, strengths and capabilities you bring to your role. How you can develop new skills to increase your influenc...

Debbie Laskey is my trusted resource for expert advice on marketing, customer service and leadership. I've had the honor of featuring her on my blog in the past. And, today, Debbie shares her keen insights on  the importance of employee engagement . As background, Debbie has nearly 20 years of marketing experience and an MBA Degree. She developed her marketing expertise while working in the high-tech industry, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, the nonprofit arena, and the insurance industry.  Question: How do you define employee engagement? Debbie : Erika Andersen (@erikaandersen on Twitter), author and leadership expert, defined employee engagement in a post for  Forbes , and it has stuck with me:   “If a company’s focus is ‘How can we give our customers what they want,’ then that company needs great employees to come up with the ideas, to make the great products, to interact with the customers. Employees aren’t a begrudged necess...

  Young and old, the pandemic likely caused you to think more about your life and purpose in life. Young and old, the new book, Who Do You Want To Be When You Grow Old? , is worth your time to read – start to finish.   Richard J. Leider’s and David A. Shapiro’s co-authored book is about not just on getting older but also on how to grow as we do so.   They explain that the path of purposeful aging is to be traveled for three reasons : It is energizing and life-affirming; it provides us with that why to get up in the morning. It makes us more resilient as we face the inevitable adversities of aging. It enables us to grow whole as we grow older. Most importantly, it is about having purpose. “Purpose always involves something that we love to do and enjoy sharing with others, that we feel passionate and care deeply about, and that we feel fits our values and the way we prefer to live and work in the world. Our purpose will always express our true gifts, pass...

If you want to create a   heart culture   and a   people-first culture   at your workplace, read the book,  Advisory Leadership , by  Greg Friedman .   Although the book is authored by an award-winning financial advisor and primarily written for professionals in the financial services industry, this book is a must read for any leader who wants to create a nurturing  heart culture  that hinges on the human-centric values the next generation of employees hold in high regard. And, what exactly is  heart culture ? Friedman says, "At its core, heart culture symbolizes how a company values more than just an employee's output. It's not about the work, but rather, the  people  who do the work." He further explains that leaders can no longer afford to ignore the shift toward a people-first culture and its direct influence on a healthy, effective work environment. Friedman teaches that there are  seven steps , based on human virtues...

"The more specific you can be about your goal, the greater your level of success will be," explain authors  Tom Pandola  and  James W. Bird , in their book,  Light A Fire Under Your Business . "This is because once we have visualized something that doesn't yet exist, it causes our subconscious mind to make the decisions necessary to make that visualized goal a reality." The authors explain that all goals must have these  five elements : Goals must clarify a specific action or outcome. Goals must be measureable by being able to quantify the benefits of achieving them. Goals should be achievable with the resources available (or at least you should know that the necessary resources are in reserve and can be acquired). Goals must also be realistic for achieving based on your particular situation. Goals must also include the time period in which you want to achieve them. With a date or time period specified for completion, planning can be established in order for eva...

Flashback to earlier this year... This time each year, I select my pick for  best new leadership and business book for the year . For 2020, my pick is,  Stand Out! Become a Young Professional Who Wins at Work and Life , by  Nathan Magnuson , published in June this year. Written by a humble, wise, insightful millennial, Magnuson provides a timely resource to help young professionals excel in the workplace and beyond.  I selected this book because Magnuson tells it like it is, provides clear, practical, actionable advice and speaks with authenticity and in a conversational style that will resonate with young career professionals. Call it a blueprint, handbook, guide or manual,  Stand Out!  is a must-read for young professionals early in their career, for recent college graduates, and for workplace leaders respectfully guiding and coaching the young professionals within their organizations.  Stand Out!  also makes for a good gift from a parent or lif...