Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Years ago, Entrepreneur magazine offered these timeless and valuable tips on how to give praise : Praise followed by criticism is not praise. Praise followed by praise is probably a little too much praise. Ending an expression of praise with "...and stuff" nullifies the praise. And, Make it timely. The closer the recognition is to the behavior, the more likely the behavior will be repeated. Be sincere. Be impromptu.  Remember, a handwritten note is worth more than a gift card. Having trouble writing your handwritten note of praise? Try this template to get you started : _______, I couldn't be more impressed with how you______.  Not only did you____, but also you_______.  Beautiful. Thanks, ________

  What I like most about Nathan Magnuson ’s leadership books is how immediately actionable and practical his teachings are.   His latest book, Ridiculously Practical Leadership: The One-Step Approach To Immediate High Performance , is a perfect example.   There is no fluff, no theory, just straight-up practical application covering 20 skill topics ranging from decision-making to difficult conversations to giving feedback to leading change and servant leadership .   “For twenty years I’ve studied leadership development. I’ve had a front row seat to many incredible leaders and others who meant well but got stuck in the all-too-familiar rut of too-long training classes emphasizing theory over application with little to show for the investment,” says Magnuson.   That’s why I wrote Ridiculously Practical Leadership . So, if you’re looking for an approach to leadership development that CEOs, CFOs and CHROs can all support and team leaders can't live without, this...

Whether you're a first-time job seeker, midlife pivoter, or legacy-minded leader, you're probably asking: Does my work matter? What am I really building? How can I keep contributing?   Fortunately, there is a new book that will help you learn how to build clarity as you go—clarity about what kind of work feels worth doing and how to align your time, energy, and effort accordingly.   This book is In The Mission Generation: Rewrite Success, Reclaim Your Purpose, Rebuild Our Future , written by venture capitalist, Stanford University lecturer, and CEO of the NobleReach Foundation Arun Gupta and strategic management expert and business professor Thomas J. Fewer, PhD .   “The Mission Generation isn't defined by age―it's bound by conviction. This book offers a new blueprint for every age and stage, one that doesn't force you to choose between making money and finding meaning,” explain the authors.   They also share the future of work isn’t about choosing between ...

  Today brings a highly personal, timely and compelling book for coaches, clinicians, executives, and leaders who want to create sustainable success without sacrificing their humanity and while putting self-empathy at the core of their professional role.   The book is Leading From The Heart: The Essential Guide to Self-Empathy & Self-Compassion by Dr. D. Ivan Young , a renowned behavioral neural science expert, and ICF Mastered Certified Coach.   “Empathy invites us to pause, to witness, to connect, “says Dr. Young, “It is a quiet, unhurried force that creates and builds bridges between us. At a time in which we increasingly interact with technology and artificial intelligence, practicing empathy allows us to be and feel truly human with one another.”   In the book’s forward, Carrie Abner, Head of Credentialing for the International Coaching Federation, she explains that empathy allows leaders to connect more deeply with their teams, listen beyond words, suppor...

In 2024, I named  Be The Unicorn: Data-driven Habits That Separate The Best Leaders From The Rest ,  by  William Vanderbloemen , as the  best new leadership book  of that year.   The book is timely, incredibly practical, and immediately usable for any leader wherever they are on their leadership journey.   Through extensive research of more than 30,000 top leaders and proprietary data, Vanderbloemen identified in the book the twelve habits that the best of the best leaders have in common. These superstar leaders are the unicorns – highly desirable but that are difficult to find or obtain.   And recently, Vanderbloemen followed up that gem of a book with another terrific book called,  Work   How You Are Wired: 12 Data-Driven Steps To Finding A Job You Love . It’s a great companion book to  Be The Unicorn .   Those 12 steps align with these 12 personality traits/interpersonal habits: Fast Authentic Agile Solver Anticipator Prepar...

What you don't see about yourself can hold you back as a leader. That's typical for many leaders. What we don't see is what we  can't  see: we have  blindspots . Your blindspots prevent you from achieving your greatest success.  “It turns out that we're often not great judges of ourselves, even when we think we are. Sometimes we're simply unaware of a behavior or trait that's causing problems,” explains  Martin Dubin , author of the new book,  Blindspotting: How To See What’s Holding You Back As A Leader . “Bottom line: until we uncover these blindspots, we can't move forward. The good news is that you can learn to do your own  blindspotting .”   “Most of us understand the idea of blindspots in a general sense—areas we can’t see, to take the term most literally, or places we have gaps that we may not even realize, to be a little more abstract,” says Dubin.  “But in the context of this book, I’m defining blindspots quite specifically: They are...

  “Research reveals that playful adults excel at problem-solving and stress management and consistently report higher life satisfaction,” explains Piera Gelardi , author of the new book, The Playful Way .   The Playful Way is a mindset that transforms how you experience everything from airport security lines to career transitions to navigating grief.   More specifically, Gelardi says playfulness is:   Finding humor and lightness even in tense moments. Staying open to possibilities rather than fixating on one “right” way. Experimenting rather than seeking perfection. Bringing an ethos of curious exploration to difficulties. Finding wisdom in the body when the mind’s tied up in knots. Tuning your attention to notice details and find wonder. Reimagining dull tasks through reframes and games. Improvising when things go sideways.   Gelardi guides readers in uncovering the mental barriers and inner critics that restrict playfulness, offering practical techniqu...

In Marcus Buckingham ’s latest book, Design Love In: How To Unleash The Most Powerful Force In Business , he details the one hidden skill at the heart of all the best leaders today—and what you can do in your own working life to cultivate it. The skill is leading lovingly —what Buckingham calls Design Love In (DLI). Being a leader, whom people say they love working for and for whom they’d walk through walls. A leader who gets the absolute best out of their employees and who builds the kind of team employees desperately want to be on.  “Love fuels our resilience, sparks our creativity, and bonds us together as collaborators,” shares Buckingham. “Love means a passionate commitment to something or someone. Love means deep loyalty. Love is advocacy. And, of course, love can also be hard-edged, hence ‘tough love.’” Buckingham recommends leaders create experiences that: Make employees feel bigger. Allow employees to feel safe enough to open up. Help employees flourish. Further, Buckingh...

  Credit: iStock Photo For the past 16 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 with the following Q&A's:  QUESTION: You've featured many leadership experts on your blog through the years. What is a common theme from all the Q&A's? DEBBIE LASKEY : Back in 2011, I met Mark Herbert, a leadership expert and author based in Oregon, as a result of our interactions on Twitter/X. I interviewed him several times, and he provided a quote that I will always remember and share often: "Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others." That quote has appeared on my blog countless times over the years because...