Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

  Today, the following expert business and leadership book authors shared their advice for how to effectively lead during 2021 . My question to them was:   What is your advice for leaders as we enter what is surely to be a challenging 2021 for most businesses? Fred Dust -- Author of   Making Conversation: Seven Elements of Meaningful Communication “There’s been a surprisingly joyful outcome of 2020—quite simply, leaders are seeing those they lead as humans. They’ve seen them wrestling with children, in trying to manage personal and professional challenges at home, more Zoom gaffes than we can count, etc., which has given employers a deeply humanistic view of those they manage.  “The converse is also true. Mangers, leaders, and CEOs are grappling with the same—noisy toddlers, spouses who are also navigating unprecedented schedules, faulty technology, etc. This recognition of humanity is significant—I myself paused a team meeting yesterday when ...

This time each year, I select my pick for best new leadership and business book for the year . For 2020, my pick is,  Stand Out! Become a Young Professional Who Wins at Work and Life , by Nathan Magnuson , published in June this year. Written by a humble, wise, insightful millennial, Magnuson provides a timely resource to help young professionals excel in the workplace and beyond.  I selected this book because Magnuson tells it like it is, provides clear, practical, actionable advice and speaks with authenticity and in a conversational style that will resonate with young career professionals. Call it a blueprint, handbook, guide or manual,  Stand Out!  is a must-read for young professionals early in their career, for recent college graduates, and for workplace leaders respectfully guiding and coaching the young professionals within their organizations.  Stand Out!  also makes for a good gift from a parent or life/business coach and is perfect for a millenni...

With 2021 fast approaching, it's time to identify your New Year's Resolutions for next year. To get you started, how about selecting one or more of these 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 2021. 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 decision point during...

Today, we flashback to 2018 : The new book,   Say What You Mean , by   Oren Jay Sofer , couldn’t have come at a better time. Because 2018 was a year filled with communication challenges for so many people.   Often, those conversations were ineffective and unhealthy, causing frustration, conflict and distress. Published toward the end of 2018, Sofer’s book teaches you  how to find your voice, speak your truth and listen deeply . Most important, via the book, Sofer provides us the skill necessary to transform communication into a vehicle for greater intimacy, honesty, and compassion to bring us to greater equity and peace. And, that’s why,  Say What You Mean ,  is my pick for B est New Leadership Book for 2018 . The overarching framework for the book is taking  three steps to create effective conversation : Lead with presence  – show up and be fully in the moment. Come from curiosity and care  – rooted in the foundation of our intention. Focus ...

Originally published in December 2016: After reading nearly 30 new books about leadership this past year, my pick for  2016's best new leadership book  is,  Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change , by  H. James Dallas . Technically, the book came out in the fall of 2015, but gained its popularity and momentum in 2016, hence my selection as my 2016 pick. Virtually every business is undergoing change. And, one of the most difficult things for a leader to do is to successfully lead a change initiative. And, change is what most employees fear most. That's why, says Brown that on average nearly 75 percent of change initiatives fail. What's more... When the rate of external change exceeds the rate of internal change, the end is in sight. Fortunately, Brown has written what I consider to be one of the most straight-forward, practical and timely books on how to lead a transition through change effectively. H. James Dallas More specifically, Brown covers much more than ta...

You've likely started to select your New Year's resolutions and set some goals for 2021. I have. As you set your resolutions and goals, consider also reading the book,  Life Word , to learn how to select your one Life Word. The one word that as the book authors say will significantly impact your life and legacy. Life Word  shows you the three-step process for how to identify your Live Word and the "why" behind that word so you can live with a renewed sense of  power, purpose and passion . Your Life Word becomes the driving force to align your efforts and eliminate distractions. And, by living your Life Word you create your  legacy , defined by what you leave behind that lives on in others. Your legacy is always about the lives we touch and the people we influence. And, as the authors explain,  the value of your life and your legacy is revealed in the stories that those who were most important to you--those who knew you best--will tell . In less than 100-pages an...