Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

“Four out of five adults report feeling that they have too much to do and not enough time to do it,” reports  Ashley Whillans , author of the new book,  Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life . “These time-poor people experience less joy each day. They laugh less. They are less healthy and less productive.” And, in one study, time stress produced a stronger negative effect on happiness than unemployment.   Drawing on the latest science, Whillans teaches us how to escape the time traps that make us feel this way and keep us from living our best lives.   She explains that the  six most common time traps  are: Constant connection to technology. Obsession with work and making money. Limited value placed on time. Busyness as a status symbol. Aversion to idleness. The Yes…and then regret it effect.   Her playbook shows you how to :   take back the time you lose to mindless tasks and unfulfilling chores. improve your "time affluence...

  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, ________

Some of my favorite parts of  Douglas Conant 's and  Mette Norgaard 's book,  TouchPoints , are these lessons for leaders: You need to have dual vision. You need to be able to address the most pressing need and do it in a way that makes your employees more capable and ready to take on the next issue. No leader can succeed by being only tough-minded or only tender-hearted . The perfect balance is to be both tough-minded on the issue and tender-hearted with people. Leading with heart doesn't mean you always decide in favor of the individual. It just means that when you need to make a tough-minded decision, you are acutely aware of how it will affect the people involved. The people who are the most committed to mastering their craft are often the most humble . That is because, instead of comparing themselves to others, they are moved by an inner vision of what they might achieve. Ask often, "How can I help?"  Doing so at the start of an interaction opens up space for...

Here are some great insights about  leading versus managing  from  Bob Kulhan  and his book,  Getting To Yes And . He says, " Leading is not managing. Managing is not leading. " "Managing is taking care of logistical and practical details. Every team-related task needs to be managed to some extent, and the quality of managing can fall anywhere on a spectrum that runs from well-oiled machine to gear-grinding nightmare." "The real problem arises when anyone confuses the managing of job-specific details with actual leadership. One does not need to be a visionary to qualify as a leader, but leadership does imply vision from a position of oversight." "Managing is a part of leading, and a great leader can and should be an excellent manager. While a good manager needs to effectively communicate data and details, a good leader communicates on a broader, higher level. A leader drives for results, leads by example, and develops talent." Finally, he adds th...

According to a 2015 Microsoft study, the average attention span for us ever-scattered humans is now shorter that a goldfish's;  eight seconds . So, how do you stand out? How do you communicate effectively? How do you not waste time? Paul Hellman  answers these questions and gives you 100 fast and actionable tactics to make your eights seconds meaningful. It's all in his book,  You've Got 00:00:08 Seconds . He teaches you three key ingredients: Focus : How to say less with more meaning. Variety : How to stand out as  slightly  different. Presence . How to be notable and boost your reputation. Paul Hellman His tactics will serve you well in all these types of situations : Making presentations Interviewing Emailing Networking Storytelling Leaving voice mail Here are some of my favorite takeaways from Hellman's book: In one-to-one conversations , talk less than the other person. Ask at least one thought-provoking question per conversation. In meetings , speak in 30-...

One of my favorite articles from a 2014 issue of Inc.  magazine  featured a fascinating list of  35 questions  from business owners, entrepreneurs and management thinkers. Each offered  the one question  they would ask  to move a company forward . From the list,  my favorites are : Are we relevant? Will we be relevant five years from now? Ten? What prevents me from making the changes I know will make me a more effective leader? Are we changing as fast as the world around us? Who, on the executive team or the board, has spoken to a customer recently? And, my most favorite is : How can we become the company that would put us out of business? What question do you ask to help move your company forward?

  Rather than writing yet another how-to guide for people wanting to launch a startup, Tom Eisenmann conducted original research on startup failure to better understand startup success.   During his multiyear research project he conducted 470 interviews with failed entrepreneurs and investors, and provided a series of case studies—from a home-furnishings retailer (Fab.com) to a concierge dog-walking service (Baroo) to a sophisticated social robot (Jibo)—and he identified six distinct patterns that account for most startup failures :   Bad Bedfellows . Startup success is thought to rest largely on the founder’s talents and instincts. But the wrong team, investors, or partners can sink a venture just as quickly. False Starts . In following the oft-cited advice to “fail fast” and to “launch before you’re ready,” founders risk wasting time and capital on the wrong solutions. False Promises . Success with early adopters can be misleading and give founders unwarranted c...