Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

“The most successful companies are those that adopt an Experience Mindset that strengthens both employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CS) at the same time,” explains Tiffani Bova , author of the new book, The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth .   The book’s teachings are based on exclusive research from two Salesforce studies of thousands of employees and c-suite executives around the globe, and further validated by hundreds of executive conversations and other industry research.  “The needs and preferences of both customers and employees must be considered with every decision made, large and small – requiring an entirely new operating mentality,” says Bova. “To remain completive in today’s marketplace, investing in people is no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a must have.”  Bova recommends that when companies are attempting to keep up with the relentless demands of customers, that they don’t favor the customer experience over the employee

  The new book, Bridgebuilders , should be on the reading list of every public official, CEO, and civic leader. That is because throughout the book, authors William D. Eggers and Donald F. Kettl share compelling and instructive stories about some of today’s most successful bridgebuilders—federal state, and local government leaders who transcend boundaries and partner across sectors, to achieve success and meet their goals.  “Bridgebuilding is the fresh, new approach that strengthens institutions, and government agencies by breaking free from organizational boxes and rigid, top-down leadership,” explains Eggers and Kettl. “Furthermore, the outdated model that worked well at one time—identifying a problem and creating a program designed to solve it—is giving way to new, muti-sector approaches to create public value.”  The authors stress that leaders need to manage horizontally, making connections with other departments, as well as with stakeholders outside government to create ne

Those who lead with heart consistently have discussions with their teams about their unexpressed  needs, fears, desires, gifts,  and  sense of purpose , explain the authors of the compelling book,  Leading With Heart .   CEO coaches and authors  John Baird  and  Edward Sullivan  share that anyone can learn how to make an authentic connection with their teams in order to drive better outcomes. And their book provides readers clear and practical insights to help them succeed in making those connections. Be sure to read the highlighted key principles and takeaways at the end of every chapter.   Baird and Sullivan further share that workers today want to feel respected, seen and appreciated for who they are. That’s why companies with the best retention, morale, and productivity are led by leaders with heart.   As Alexander Den Heijer said, “ When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower .”   “In heart-based cultures, people feel safe pushing back and

There are  eight specific actions  business leaders can take to  show that they value their employees , according to  Andrew Leigh , author of the book,   Ethical Leadership -- Creating and Sustaining an Ethical Business Culture . Those  eight behaviors  are: Attention  -- Pay attention to what people say to show your interest. Listen  -- Make time to hear what colleagues, peers and employees have to say to show you care. Positive Language  -- Find words and phrases to show employees they're needed.  Examples are, "We couldn't have accomplished this without you," "That was really useful." Document  -- Put praise in writing to increase its impact.  Make clear where the credit belongs. Micro Sessions  -- Create two-way communication sessions. Visits  -- Schedule visits to teams and work areas. Stories  -- Share stories that highlight unusual contributions and provide your personal response to them. Invite  -- Ask people to contact you directly with their issue

Bruce Tulgan ’s book,  The Art of Being Indispensable at Work   is   all about  how to win influence, beat overcommitment, and get the right things done in your workplace .   Tulgan says that what truly sets “go-to people” apart is how they think and what they do, including:   They understand the peculiar mathematics of real influence  – doing the right thing for the long term. They lead from wherever they are  – going vertically before going sideways (or diagonally). They know when to say no and how to say yes . They work smart  – creating checklists, step-by-step instructions, and professionalizing everything they do. They finish what they start . They get better and better at working together . They promote “go-to-ism”  – finding other indispensable people throughout the organization and building new go-to people whenever there’s a chance to do so.   Other  characteristics of indispensable people , are:   Maintaining a positive attitude Doubling down on hard work Taking personal res

Forbes  named,  A New Way To Think , as one of the 10 must-read books for 2022.  In the book, authored by  Roger L. Martin , he urges business leaders to toss out the old ways of thinking, and instead try new models in every domain of management – from competition and customers to strategy, data, culture, talent, mergers and acquisitions, and everything in-between.  More specifically, within 14 chapters, Martin explores his recommended new ways of thinking about: Competition Stakeholders Customers Strategy Data Knowledge Work Corporate Functions Planning Execution Talent Innovation Capital Investment Mergers and Acquisitions Roger L. Martin  Recently, Martin answers these questions for us:   Question: As The Great Resignation rages on, what is the most important thing leaders must know about recruiting and retaining top talent?   Martin : Leaders need to keep two things in mind in dealing with The Great Resignation.  First , a key driver is adverse reaction to talent being forced back

“When it comes to culture, one of the most glaring issues is that far too many leaders do not recognize it as one of their greatest competitive advantages,” says  Matt Mayberry , author of the book,  Culture Is The Way .   Mayberry, former linebacker for the Chicago Bears and now keynote speaker and global expert in leadership development, culture change, and organizational performance, took the lessons he learned on the field and in the locker room straight to the boardroom.  “Over time, I realized that the same characteristics that distinguish the best football teams are also required to succeed in business,” shares Mayberry. Those characteristics include:   A strong commitment to excellence. An emphasis on teamwork. Practicing like a champion every day. Perseverance in the face of adversity.   Other key lessons from sports coaches include these says Mayberry:   Develop a burning desire to improve culture. Generate and bring positive energy daily. Don’t just  manage  people,  coach  

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 recent 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 gratitude at work than anyplace else. And yet ex

These quotes truly inspire me and hopefully they will inspire you as well : “The three common characteristics of best companies -- they care, they have fun, they have high performance expectations.” -- Brad Hams “The one thing that's common to all successful people: They make a habit of doing things that unsuccessful people don't like to do.” -- Michael Phelps “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." -- Harry S. Truman “The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.” -- Peter Drucker “Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -- Dwight D. Eisenhower “Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself.  It's about advancing your team.” -- John C. Maxwell "People buy into the leader, then the vision.” -- John C. Maxwell “Great leaders have courage, tenacity and patience.” -- Bill McBean "Pe