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Showing posts from 2024

How CEOs Learn To Lead From The Inside Out As Part Of Their Leadership Journey

  The new book, The Journey of Leadership , brings the experience of one of the world’s most influential consulting firms ( McKinsey & Compan y ) right to your fingertips.   “We offer in this book a step-by-step approach for leaders to reinvent themselves both professionally and personally,” explain co-authors Dana Maor , Hans-Werner Kaas , Kurt Strovink and Ramesh Srinivasan .   This book includes revealing lessons from McKinsey & Company’s legendary CEO leadership program, The Bower Forum , which has counseled more than five hundred global CEOs over the past decade.   The authors assert that if you are a traditional left-brained leader who’s great at numbers, planning and scheduling, your job might be threatened in the future. “Going forward, the differentiating factor will be human leadership that gives people a sense of purpose and inspires them, and that cares about who they are and what they’re thinking and feeling.”   As you read the book, you’ll discove

How To Lead Bigger

  Anne Chow ’s new book, Lead Bigger , is about “where it all comes together.” By that, she means: Being driven by a compelling purpose and values, which are not platitudes, but rather lived. The goals are better decisions, improved performance, and ultimately a greater impact. Impact means you have the power to make real and enduring change for the better. Widening your perspective to have a greater performance and impact. Advancing work that matters. Developing a vital, innovative workforce that is both trusted and agile. Championing flexibility by embracing trust and empowerment for individuals, teams, and leaders alike.   Drawing from over three decades of experience, former CEO of AT&T Business Chow shares that leading bigger also means:   Embracing the whole of your team beyond the workplace : Seeing the value and potential of each individual—in the context of not only their work, but also their life.   Engaging in self-reflection : Demonstrating self-awareness and hu

What Exceptional Leaders Do In Extraordinary Times

A few years ago, I named David Grossman ’s book, Heart First , as the best new leadership book for 2021 .  So, you can imagine how excited I am to learn that Grossman just published the second edition of the book, titled Heart First: What Exceptional Leaders Do in Extraordinary Times .  This updated version is for leaders at all levels who are seeking critical insights for guiding their organizations through a pivotal time of change and complexity for companies today.  Defining “ Heart First Leadership ,” Grossman explains that it is “all about championing empathy, humanity, and authenticity to build stronger, more trusting relationships and a thriving, purpose-driven organization.” The book features:  Proven best practices in leadership today. Guest columns from a variety of senior leaders (AKA “Change Makers”). Access to actionable tools for direct practice (exclusive access download). Clear situational guidance for high-impact communication. Contemporary real-world examples

A Tale Of Leadership, Marketing And Blogging From Debbie Laskey

  For the past 15 years, I have relied on Debbie Laskey’s Blog for expert leadership guidance and always interesting insights into marketing best practices and recaps of marketing trends.   Fortunately, through the years, Debbie has also shared her expertise through a variety of postings on my blog and I’m honored again today to feature Debbie via the following Q&A’s:   Question: During 2024, you published two interesting leadership series on your blog: the Spring Leadership Series (March-June 2024) and the Olympics Leadership Series (July-August 2024). What are some of your leadership takeaways that you learned from the participants in those two series?   DEBBIE LASKEY : I've been honored to attract thought leaders to my blog in Q&A formats over the years and especially during 2024 in two leadership series. Fifteen experts participated in my #SpringLeadershipSeries, and 17 experts participated in my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries.   Three key questions from the #Spri

How To Make Conversations Healthy And Productive Dialogues

  In his new book, Habits of a Peacemaker , Steven T. Collis , a leading expert on civil discourse, reveals ten practical habits that can help you navigate the potential minefields of hard topics and leave you and those you converse with feeling thoughtful and productive.  The ten habits are:  Intellectual Humility and Reframing Seek Real Learning Assume the Best About People Don’t Feed People’s Worst Fears Hunt for the Best Argument Against You Be Open to Change Spend Time with People A Sliver of Humor Seek Inner Peace Embrace the Discomfort of Non-Closure  “I have organized the book in a way that makes sense to me, but you should not feel the need to read it strictly from front to back,” shares Collis. “Each chapter provides useful guidance on how to achieve moments of peaceful, productive dialogue with the people in your life.”  He adds, “If how you treat others matters to you, this book offers powerful new habits that can give you the confidence to engage

How To Combat Workplace Stress One Conversation At A Time

In Fierce Resilience , author Edward Beltran , CEO of Fierce Inc., presents a groundbreaking approach to reducing workplace stress and building resilience through conversation.  As technology, isolation, and productivity pressures increasingly contribute to workplace stress, Beltran offers a science-based model that identifies and neutralizes individual stress triggers.   By leveraging the power of conversations, individuals discover: their unique stressors. how to master skills to neutralize stressors. ways to build unwavering resilience that elevates their emotional well-being.  “This book is aimed at people who are part of any type and size of workplace: in-person, hybrid, or virtual,” says Beltran. “I share personal anecdotes, case studies, exercises, practical guidance, and actionable strategies.”   · In the book, Beltran redefines resilience as the courage to self-assess and act . It is about being brave enough to face stress head-on, understand its roots, and take meaningful act

How To Use The Science Of Personality To Make Better Business Decisions

  In the new book, Good Judgment , author Richard Davis , PhD , explains what the science of personality is and how it works, and how all of us can use it to improve our working relationships, careers, and lives.   “Understanding the science of personality and how to utilize it is the key to exercising good judgment, shares Davis. “The ability to read others’ personalities quickly and accurately, overcoming biases and prejudices that might skew our perception, is critical when making decisions and managing relationships both professional and personal.”   Psychologists widely agree that five key traits define our personalities :   Intellect : How people think. How people process information, make decisions, and solve problems. Emotionality : How people express emotions. How people typically experience and/or express their emotions. Sociability : How people engage with others. How people tend to interact, communicate, engage, and get along with others. Drive : Why people do w

How To Transform Relationships And Unleash Positive Results

  Today brings the fourth edition of Leadership and Self-Deception , by The Arbinger Institute . Previous editions during the past two decades have inspired readers and taught them that to effectively lead our teams, careers, and relationships we must be honest with ourselves about who we are and what motivates us.  The book will show you how to identify self-deception and reverse its impact on personal and professional relationships — a critical skill in our polarizing times. The new edition of the book applies fresh insights into timeless concepts with a broader, more diverse set of characters.  Self-deception is the action or practice of allowing oneself to believe that a false or unvalidated feeling, idea, or situation is true.  “Self-deception is the most debilitating of organizational issues. This is because problems cannot be solved if the people responsible for the problems remain resistant to the possibility that they may need to change,” according to The Arbinger Insti

The Seven Attributes Of Meaningful Work

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!

High-Performing Teams Have These 10 Characteristics

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,