Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

  With 2026 fast approaching, it's a good time to identify your New Year's Resolutions for next year. To get you started, how about selecting one or more of the following 70 New Year's resolutions for leaders? Perhaps write down five to ten and then between now and January 1, think about which couple you want to work on during 2026. 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 each deci...

The book,   Reinventing the Leader ,  is an inspiring account of the magic that can happen when a leader realizes they must undergo their own transformation in order to transform their organization.  This candid and practical book by  Guilherme  ( Gui) Loureiro , Regional CEO overseeing Walmex, Walmart Canada, and Walmart Chile (now Chairman of the Board for Walmex and Regional CEO for Canada, Chile, Central America, and Mexico), and his executive leadership coach  Carlos Marin  shows how even the most successful leaders must be open to personal change in order to transform their company. The book details how the pair pioneered a data-driven, customer-centric business transformation at Walmex—Walmart’s biggest division outside of the United States. “This book is a blueprint for transformational success for leaders in any business who find themselves facing the need to retool their own company’s systems and operations and energize and inspire an entire ...

“As we age, the instinct to matter crystallizes into the fundamental need to be seen, heard, valued, and needed,” says  Zach Mercurio  Ph.D., author of the book,  The Power Of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create A Culture Of Significance . “The need to matter never goes away. And if our need to matter is satisfied, we flourish.”   Mercurio explains that mattering is created through small, repeated interactions that ensure people feel noticed, affirmed, and needed.   These three ingredients form these  three leadership practices :   Noticing:   the practice of seeing and hearing others.   Affirming:   the practice of showing people how their unique gifts make a difference.   Needing:   the practice of showing people how they're relied on and indispensable.     Part One  of Mercurio’s book illuminates the  what  and  why  of mattering and offers you a self-assessment to measure your mattering skil...

Each year, after reviewing dozens of books about leadership, management, business and life skills, I select my pick for the best new leadership book of the year. During 2025, I reviewed on this blog 48 books, and I choose  Radical Listening: The Art Of True Connection  as the best new leadership book of 2025. To be an excellent leader you need to be an exceptional listener. Sadly, too many business leaders don't listen well or don't listen to a broad enough range of their employees. This great book will help leaders become better listeners  –  radical listeners. “For leaders, radical listening must start at the top of an organization,” state the authors  Prof. Christian Van Nieuwerburgh (PhD)  and  Dr.   Robert Biswas-Diener .    “Unless there is a clear and sustained commitment to radical listening from leaders, others are less likely to be fully engaged with the idea. This is, of course, easier said than done.”  “Most leaders woul...

“Too often, we don’t find out what’s truly on others’ hearts and minds because we don’t know how to  ask  the right questions in the right ways,” explains  Jeff Wetzler , author of the book,  ASK .   In his timely, must-read book, Wetzler shows you a powerful method called  The Ask Approach™ , based on a simple premise: that tapping into what other people truly think, know, and feel is a game-changing superpower for leaders.  Wetzler explains that the only thing that allows you to understand what’s on another person’s mind better is just asking them.   Following the powerful  The Ask Approach™  method will lead you to  smarter decisions, more creative solutions, and deeper relationships. Also, by asking more questions you’ll help break down barriers, resolve challenges, encourage collaboration, and imagine new ways of doing things.   The five practical steps of the research-based, pressure-tested  The Ask Approach™  m...

  “It is respect for one another that builds healthy relationships. It is mutual respect that creates friendships and enables societies and their organizations to function effectively. It is respect that establishes trust between individuals and groups,” states Robert L. Dilenschneider , author of the new book, Respect: How to Change The World One Interaction At A Time .  “While my books typically have been for a business audience—and this one is perfect for entrepreneurs to directors to CEOs—it also will resonate with anyone at any point in their life who wants to improve interpersonal communication and relate to others with authenticity,” adds Dilenschneider.  Drawing on his decades of leadership experience and insights from respected voices in healthcare, education, business, politics, nonprofit foundations, and the arts, Dilenschneider offers a clear roadmap for building stronger connections and communities.  As you read the book, you will learn: Why self-respect...

In the new book, CEO Ready , authors Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin reveal what you need to do to maximize your chances of being the one who secures the top spot. Specifically, they detail the seven key stakeholders  who weigh in on whether to choose you as CEO.   “Collectively, we have coached more than 200 executives who have been selected by their board members to become CEOs,” share the authors. “We can help you prepare to be a great CEO either in your current organization or elsewhere. We will share tools you can use to get objective feedback from all stakeholders, so you have complete visibility into what you’re up against.”   As you seek the CEO role, the authors explain that leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process that one often imagines. They add that decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes such as strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, a...