Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

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 ...

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 cu...

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 ex...

“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 diff...

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 organiza...

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"

  What does it take for women to flourish in leadership roles today? Answering that question is what three authors set out to explore in the new book, Arrive And Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership , written by Susan MacKenty Brady , Janet Foutty and Lynn Perry Wooten .   The book’s timely and practice-driven guidance empowers women leaders to excel as they rise to positions of greater responsibility, risk, and reward—and to lead others along the way. The  authors draw on decades of their professional experience and on knowledge and advice from 24 of the world’s most successful leaders to identify the seven key practices to thriving as a leader :  Invest in your best self. This entails getting to know yourself when you’re at your best and leading from that place.  Cultivate courage by committing to action and overcoming your fear of doing so.  Foster resilience to enable you to overcome setbacks and lead more powerfully....

Inclusion On Purpose: An Intersectional Approach To Creating A Culture Of Belonging At Work , by Ruchika Tulshyan, provides the missing piece in the ongoing conversation around equity and inclusion at work by focusing on the experiences of women of color, providing the playbook for how companies can be more inclusive on purpose – and why it’s imperative companies start now.   “Inclusion takes awareness, intention, and regular practice,” explains Tulshyan. “Women of color representation is rapidly growing in Western workplaces and will be the majority of working women in the United States by 2050 accordingly to Catalyst (February 1, 2021).”   “I use ‘women of color’ broadly, acknowledging that it is a flawed an incomplete term. I am referring to Black, Asian, Latinx, or Native or Indigenous women,” she adds.   In her book, Tulshyan includes an entire chapter on the topic of how to develop empathy as an inclusive leader – including definitions and explanations of: ...

“Companies that put customers first—ahead of all other stakeholders—are the ones that win,” explain Fred Reichheld , Darci Darnell and Maureen Burns , authors of the new book, Winning On Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy Of Loving Customers .  Furthermore, they share that when companies enrich the lives of customers as their company’s primary purpose, they ensure sustainable growth, happily fulfilled employees, and robust investor returns.  “When customers feel the love, they come back for more and bring their friends,” explain the authors. “And when you earn your customers’ trust, they openly share their needs and vulnerabilities. They provide honest feedback, which helps you design and deliver optimal experiences.”  Throughout the book, via a mix of personal stories, customer and employee experiences, along with CEO and investor insights, the authors demonstrate how to:  Use a moral compass to ensure people are treated right. Serve customers with empathy an...

“By 2025, experts predict that Millennials and Generation Z will make up the majority of the world’s workforce. They are two of the most populous generations on earth, and they’re going to have to navigate a work world full of unprecedented challenges,” explains Mark Zides , author of the new book, The #PACE Process For Early Career Success .   He adds, “The career landscape is rockier than ever, and navigating it takes more than just a résumé to find a perfect job. The # PACE Process for Early Career Success book is designed to help readers unlock the mindset, traits, and techniques needed to P lan, A pply for, C ommit to, and E xplore an ideal career path.”  “Whether you plan to enter the corporate world, join a startup, or start your own business, you will learn how to:  build a network master interviewing skills leverage your personal brand move on to your next opportunity when the timing is right  Leveraging more than twenty years of experience a...

There are so many good things to learn in the book,  Helping People Win At Work , by  Ken Blanchard  and  Garry Ridge . Among those is the section about how to  define meaningful work . Their definition consists of these  seven attributes.  Work is meaningful when it : It is conducted in a manner that is "good and proper" in all respects. It positively affects our company and our communities, giving our work an impact that extends beyond ourselves. It provides learning and growth, offers challenges, requires creativity, pushes us to surpass limits, and creates exciting results. It provides recognition and rewards for our achievements. It allows us to succeed as a team while excelling as individuals. It allows us to enjoy the ride, bringing humor and fun into our work. It fuels passion!

Here are some great tips from  Michelle Tillis Lederman 's book,  The 11 Laws of Likability . They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences

“Putting people first and delivering results are not two separate goals,” according to the new book, The Double Bottom Line . “Rather, a strong focus on people drives strong results, creating the double bottom line,” adds author  Donato Tramuto (with Tami Booth Corwin). Tramuto's findings are based on decades of experience, numerous studies, original qualitative research of 1,500 participants, and in-depth interviews with nearly 40 successful leaders who practice compassionate leadership.   “Research reveals that most leaders have an innate desire to be compassionate, but many don’t know how to put it into practice,” adds Tramuto. The Double Bottom Line defines compassionate leadership as:  Listening to others’ challenges, needs, or problems, having empathy for them and then actually doing something about it.  Additionally, where empathy is the ability to think about and feel for another person’s problems, suffering, or experience. And, where compassion ...

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?