Monthly Archives: September 2013
Join Our “Tweet Chat” for a Leadership Blast
Friends and colleagues, We invite you to join in a fun, lightning-fast, interactive session with leaders around the world. Join us, Bob and Gregg Vanourek, as we discuss the how’s and why’s of “Unleashing Other Leaders” with a worldwide audience that will reach several million people on Twitter via a “TweetChat.” Tweets are likely to roll in at the rate of about 200 per second and the retweets from like-minded leaders–your extended tribe—will ping around the globe. Graciously hosted by leadership expert Lolly Daskal and @LollyDaskal, who has been called “one of the most inspiring women in the world,” of Lead From Within, the leadership exchange is sure to be dynamic and far-reaching. Whether you participate, or simply observe the dynamic TweetChat, you will experience an uplifting and fun hour. …Continue Reading
We’re All Entrepreneurs Now
Guest Blog by Mike Critelli During my 25-year tenure as a senior business leader, I have seen a remarkable change in the requirements for successful business leadership. Leaders today must adopt more entrepreneurial behaviors and imbed them in their organizations, however large or mature those organizations might be. The image of an entrepreneur as a young man eating pizza, living and working in a run-down industrial space is far too limiting. In my view, every leader is an entrepreneur, even when he or she runs a large, mature company. Entrepreneurial leaders will throw out the rulebook on which they and their organizations functioned for decades and create a new set of rules. What are some of the new rules? Leaders can no longer orchestrate the development of a strategic plan …Continue Reading
Unleash Your Latent Leader
Too many people disempower themselves with comments like “If only they would …“ Or “I’m only a (fill in the blank with ‘engineer,’ or ‘salesman,’ or ‘clerk’).” Too many people self-select out of leadership. (See our blog on “The Biggest Barrier to Leadership.”) What if Alice Paul (who fought for women’s rights), or Rosa Parks, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or Nelson Mandela, or Mahatma Gandhi said the same? Or countless others who had no positional authority but decided to lead anyway? “Leadership is your choice, not your title.” -Stephen R. Covey Those waiting for someone else to lead are missing a wonderful opportunity. Great leadership is a group performance which ebbs and flows among many leaders even within the hierarchy of an organization. To quote John Michael Montgomery’s song, …Continue Reading
Why Is Leadership So Difficult? Paradoxes (and How to Master Them)
After thousands of years and countless words written and spoken about leadership, why is it still so hard to get it right? Perhaps because leadership is rife with paradoxes? A paradox includes two contradictory concepts both of which are true. We recount some of them here. Leaders are: Adaptive and persistent. Asking and telling. Bosses and servants. Committed and flexible. Confident and humble. Courageous enough to lead and follow. Demanding and forgiving. Warfield generals and sanctuary seekers. Fierce and fun. Focused on the future and the present. Hard and soft. Impervious and vulnerable. Inspiring and inspired. Lonely and connected. Masters of change and stewards of history. Nimble and solid. Open to criticism and resolute against attacks. Optimistic and realistic. Passionate and temperate. Patient and impatient. Persuasive and persuadable. Respected and …Continue Reading
The Ten T’s of Trustworthy Leadership
Guest Blog by Barbara Kimmel #1 Trustworthy leadership – A culture of trust cannot exist with an untrustworthy leader. Trustworthy behavior must start at the top and flow down through every person in an organization. Trust should not be confused with compliance. Being “legal” is not synonymous with being trustworthy. #2 Transformation – Productivity and exceptional execution begin when the CEO and leadership team synthesize a set of values and goals that are shared, accepted, and adopted by all stakeholders. #3 Tools – There are many trust tools leaders can use to build trust with their stakeholders, running the gamut from metrics and assessments to online surveys. #4 Treatment – The Golden Rule says to “treat others the way you want to be treated.” Leaders who extend trust to stakeholders are …Continue Reading
High Performance Begins with Shared Values
“When aligned around shared values and united in a common mission, ordinary people accomplish extraordinary results.” –Ken Blanchard, leadership author Managers today have a daunting job. With their downsized staff, often depending on people over whom they have no authority, they are expected to produce better results than last year, all on a reduced budget. How do high-performance organizations achieve their extraordinary results? Of course, many elements come into play (from alignment and execution to innovation and business models), but a critical element is that such organizations function as dynamic teams, with many leaders operating as stewards throughout the organization (and loyal followers as well). The leadership in these organizations ebbs and flows within the hierarchy that exists, with the boss sometimes calling the shots, but more often letting others lead, …Continue Reading
Moral Leadership: Not Just For The Pulpit
Guest Blog by Dr. Daniel Sweeney Most responsible students of leadership recognize the importance of organizational leadership, strategic leadership, project leadership, and other types of leadership in business organizations. But moral leadership in the workplace? That seems a bit ethereal. I would suggest moral leadership is at the core of all leadership. Moral leadership is about the stuff that is not written down anywhere. It might even not be talked about openly among the executives of the organization. Moral leadership is not about policy; it’s not about compliance; it’s not about mission statements or values statements–but it impacts all these. Moral leadership is important when people have to deal with situations no one ever expected to arise. Moral leadership is “doing the right thing” in public based on one’s personal …Continue Reading
