Tanveer Naseer

MAY 5, 2015

One of my favourite stories from the time of NASA’s Apollo space missions involves a visit by a group of guests to Mission Control. As they were walking down one of the building’s hallways, they spotted a man in a lab coat walking in the opposite direction and as they neared them, they asked him what he did at NASA. The man looked at the visitors and replied matter-of-factly, “I’m helping to put a man on the Moon”.

Environment 219

Environment Long-term Short-term Succession 219

Tanveer Naseer

OCTOBER 13, 2015

As a writer, one of the things that I enjoy discussing and sharing are stories. After all, a great story can entertain, inform, and inspire us, and sometimes even shape our understanding of how we can make a real difference in the world around us. It’s in that vein that I wanted to share a story with you about a volunteer firefighter and what we can learn from it about how leaders can help their employees to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and maybe even that

Letter 219

Letter Learning-by-Doing Examples Commitment 219

Tanveer Naseer

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

'In recent years, there’s been a growing focus on the importance of emotional intelligence in today’s leadership. Of why those in leadership positions need to rely less on their technical competencies and knowledge, and more on how to go about building relationships with those under their care – both to better connect the overarching vision of the organization to the internal needs of their employees, as well as to ensure a clearer understanding of the realities found within their wo

Emotional Intelligence 219

Emotional Intelligence Leadership Self-aware Influence 219

Tanveer Naseer

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

'The following is a guest piece by Steven R. Shallenberger. Have you ever felt overwhelmed, or “task saturated,” with phone calls, emails, interruptions, or competing responsibilities? How many of us spend our days frantically trying to get through our to-do lists but still never find time to do what really matters most? If this sounds all too familiar, you are not alone.

Productivity 219

Productivity Products How To Seminar 219

Tanveer Naseer

JANUARY 20, 2015

'When it comes to studying leadership, the natural tendency is to focus on those leaders whose successes and achievements continue to inspire us and drive so many to emulate them in the hopes of replicating their accomplishments. Of course, as much as it’s important for us to see what we can learn from those who understand what it takes to succeed at leadership, it’s also valuable for us to examine and consider what causes others to fail in the role of leading people towards a common

Leadership 219

Leadership Follow-up Charisma Short-term 219

Tanveer Naseer

JANUARY 27, 2015

'One of the things I enjoy about sharing my writings and insights on leadership is the opportunity it creates to interact with my readers – to hear their stories and what they’ve learned along the way, as well as some of the challenges they are trying to overcome. Recently, one challenge in particular caught my attention as it was brought forth by both a reader of my leadership blog and by an audience member at a talk I gave last week.

Commitment 219

Commitment Uncertainty Environment Morale 219

Tanveer Naseer

MARCH 24, 2015

'One of the wonderful benefits of our digital age is not only how we’re able to discover the talent and artistry of people we might have otherwise overlooked, but also how we’re now able to peek behind the curtain to learn what inspires them; to discover and understand what guides them to create these moments of engaging insights that linger in our mind’s eye.

Succession 219

Succession Long-term Learning-by-Doing Commitment 219

Tanveer Naseer

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

The following is a guest piece by Amy Brann. Most leaders we work with are passionate, committed, intelligent and dedicated. They want to make their organization the best it can possibly be. They want to support their employees and enable them to do their best work. They also want to reduce their stress levels and have a good life. Every leader, and every person you work with, has a brain.

Succession 218

Succession Micromanagement Creativity Stress 218

Tanveer Naseer

JULY 28, 2015

With the welcome arrival of the warm summer months, many of us – myself included – are eagerly making final plans for our vacation break and with it, some much needed time for rest and relaxation. Of course, taking any time off work these days can be quite challenging if not difficult for the very reasons why we need to take these much needed breaks from our everyday workday lives.

Succession 218

Succession Leadership Delegation Environment 218

Tanveer Naseer

JUNE 30, 2015

Image © Wharton Magazine Of all the seasons of the year, summer is without question my favourite. From attending the various outdoor festivals that Montreal has become renowned for, to the annual summer vacation breaks with my family, there’s no question that summer is a time for renewal and rejuvenation. Of course, renewal and rejuvenation is something that summer has also brought to my garden which, after several years of trying to grow various flowers and shrubs, is finally the kind of

Learning-by-Doing 218

Learning-by-Doing Long-term Short-term Succession 218

Tanveer Naseer

MARCH 31, 2015

'Of all the numerous organs that make up the human body, there’s no question that the brain is the most fascinating and least understood. Indeed, thanks to the burgeoning field of neuroscience, we’re not only discovering new insights into how this vital organ functions, but we’re also beginning to appreciate the depth of its complexity and mysterious nature.

Uncertainty 218

Uncertainty Motivation Learning-by-Doing Short-term 218

Tanveer Naseer

JULY 7, 2015

Over the past few months, I’ve been noticing a common thread in my work with various leaders and organizations, as well through my various speaking engagements with audiences in Canada and the US. Regardless of whether it’s the private or public sector, there’s a clear desire out there among many leaders to understand how to better engage their employees in the work they do.

Leadership 218

Leadership Emotional Intelligence Commitment Organization 218

Tanveer Naseer

MAY 19, 2015

In my previous piece, I looked at an underlying theme found among the numerous issues leaders in every industry face today and what this tells us about how we can be more successful in bringing out the best in those we lead. The enthusiastic reaction to the ideas I shared in that article got me thinking about the other piece of this puzzle. Namely, that in addition to our responsibility to protect those we lead to do the work they’re meant to do, we also need to have a keen self-awareness

Leadership 218

Leadership Self-aware Learning-by-Doing Apparel 218

Tanveer Naseer

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

'One of the benefits I garner through my work are opportunities to collaborate with different groups and individuals. Through these collaborations, I not only get the chance to learn and understand different perspectives, but to discover new ways to work with people who have different approaches to guide things forward. Of course, as with anything in life, not all collaborations are created equal.

Succession 218

Succession How To Learning-by-Doing Long-term 218

Tanveer Naseer

AUGUST 25, 2015

With August now coming to a close, many of us – myself included – are feeling that bittersweet tinge that comes with the end of the summertime period. Indeed, contrary to so many of those back-to-school commercials, I personally am not eager to see the summer break come to an end for my daughters because I love having them around. Then again, as my wife likes to say, I’m not a fan of things ending.

Long-term 217

Long-term Short-term Learning-by-Doing Politics 217

Tanveer Naseer

MARCH 3, 2015

'As a writer, there’s a natural tendency to examine events to see how they can shape our understanding of things and generate ideas that can be shared with others. It’s from that perspective that this piece that came to mind on the news of the passing of one of my childhood heroes, Leonard Nimoy, and what insights could be gleaned on looking back at the impact his life has had on so many around the world.

Film 218

Film Leadership Influence Learning-by-Doing 218

Tanveer Naseer

JUNE 16, 2015

The following is a guest piece by Dr. Alan Zimmerman. It was the most memorable line in the movie Cool Hand Luke. When the prisoners wouldn’t listen, the prison guard uttered that ominous line: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” In a similar sense, almost every employee survey complains about a “lack of communication.” Perhaps you work in one of those places.

Leadership 217

Leadership Guidelines Open-book Quality 217

Tanveer Naseer

OCTOBER 6, 2015

In much of my work with leaders and organizations in various industries and disciplines, there’s a common issue that they seek help on addressing. Specifically, how do we keep employees invested in the long-term goals of our organization? For these leaders, the question is not so much how to improve employee engagement as it is how to sustain that enthusiasm and drive over the life span of a project or change initiative where it takes months or even years to achieve a successful outcome.

Management 216

Management Motivation Long-term Participative 216

Tanveer Naseer

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

The following is a guest piece by author Sean Glaze. If you’re like most team leaders, you go into your team’s season or project or quarterly sales period with a goal. And if you’re like most leaders, you find yourself frustrated at some point in that process because you struggle to get the buy-in or create the cohesiveness and commitment that would inspire your team to meet the goals that were set.

Team 216

Team Teamwork Airlines Goal 216

Tanveer Naseer

JUNE 9, 2015

When I sat down to write this latest piece for my leadership blog, I realized that today marks a special anniversary – exactly 6 years ago on this date I took the plunge to begin writing my own blog. Without question, it’s been a long and exhilarating journey both in terms of the evolution of my site as well as in terms of my writing style and approach.

Commitment 216

Commitment Motivation Short-term Environment 216

Tanveer Naseer

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

One of the things that I enjoy about speaking at conferences and at various organizations is the opportunity to meet new people. In the case of the MHLC conference I spoke at last week, it was being able to meet up with friends I made from speaking at this conference for three consecutive years, as well as meeting colleagues in the leadership sphere who I had previously only connected with by email and on the phone.

Conference 215

Conference Learning-by-Doing Mission Statement Charisma 215

Tanveer Naseer

APRIL 14, 2015

'After the tough winter season most of us have had this year, it’s understandable that many of us are eager for Springtime weather to finally take hold so we might once again enjoy a warm sun under blue skies. Of course, it’s not just the return of warm weather that many of us associate with the arrival of Spring. There’s also that sense of renewal and rejuvenation that comes with this time of the year; of being more open to making changes that will spur on new opportunities fo

How To 215

How To Uncertainty Long-term Human Capital 215

Tanveer Naseer

NOVEMBER 17, 2015

Over the course of this year, I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over North America speaking at conferences and with organizations about how we can do a better job being the kind of leader our employees need us to be. As I travelled from the East Coast down to the South Coast, and just two weeks ago, to the West Coast when I spoke at an IT-education conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, I couldn’t help but notice a common line of inquiry being brought forward by some of the

Power 214

Power Influence Follow-up Travel 214

Tanveer Naseer

JUNE 23, 2015

The following is a guest piece by Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly, PsyD. We leaders tend to focus on developing external resources. How can we make the best use of our team’s time, budget, and expertise? Yes, these are important considerations, and leaders who ignore them won’t be leading for long. But too often, leaders focus so much on external factors that they neglect (or completely ignore) their internal resources: their attitudes, perspectives, motivation, and beliefs that make up

Development 215

Development Stress Belief Systems Learning-by-Doing 215

Tanveer Naseer

AUGUST 18, 2015

The following is a guest piece by CEO Ben Decker. Across every business vertical and level, we all tell ourselves little white lies when it comes to communicating: “People tell me I’m pretty good at communicating.” “I don’t need to prep; I can wing it.” “If I say the words, people will get it.” At the CEO level, these white lies run rampant. After years of working with business leaders, the fact is most CEOs are not inspiring.

CEO 214

CEO Bottom-up PR Audience 214

Tanveer Naseer

AUGUST 4, 2015

Over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to participate in a number of projects and initiatives looking at collecting the thoughts and perspectives from a diverse set of experts, thought leaders, and personalities. For some of these projects, the contributions being sought were straight-forward and to the point. But others tended to take on a more thought-provoking approach.

Leadership 214

Leadership Emotional Intelligence Learning-by-Doing Motivation 214

Tanveer Naseer

JULY 14, 2015

The following is a guest piece by Marlene Chism. There are as many definitions for leadership as there are companies that have leaders, yet at the core, leadership is about alignment. When we hear the word alignment, we think “walking the talk” or acting from integrity. We have all had the experience of observing a leader who doesn’t “walk his talk.

Leadership 213

Leadership Armstrong Learning-by-Doing Definition 213

Tanveer Naseer

APRIL 28, 2015

When you grow up in Montreal, it’s almost a given that you become a fan of Jazz music. For those you might not know this, every summer Montreal hosts the world’s largest Jazz Festival in the world (I kid you not – we even hold the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest Jazz festival). It’s an annual event that’s been held here for over 35 years and one that I’ve been attending annually since I was in high school.

Leadership 213

Leadership Learning-by-Doing Blanchard Creativity 213

Tanveer Naseer

MARCH 10, 2015

'The following is a guest piece by Innovation Excellence co-founder Rowan Gibson. Today’s corporate leaders are under intense pressure to deliver continuous business growth. But where exactly is this growth supposed to come from? What most companies understand now is that the only way to drive profitable growth and wealth creation over the longer term is to innovate.

How To 212

How To Retail Core Competence Innovation 212

Tanveer Naseer

APRIL 21, 2015

'Now that the first quarter of this year is coming to an end, many of us are naturally taking stock of how much progress we’ve made towards reaching those targets we set out to attain this year. This naturally leads to an examination of our current efforts to promote the growth and development of our organization and with it, new opportunities to broaden our scope and leverage our existing assets.

Succession 210

Succession Long-term Delegation Learning-by-Doing 210

Tanveer Naseer

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

Last week, I had the pleasure of being invited to speak at the Management Grand Rounds held at Boston Children’s Hospital. As with every speaking engagement I do, the part I look forward to the most is being able to meet with audience members to hear about their experiences and what insights they’ve gained from my talk. In the case of my talk at Boston Children’s Hospital, it was wonderful to hear the level of interest among many of the leaders in the audience of how they could

How To 209

How To Audience Learning-by-Doing Succession 209

Tanveer Naseer

JANUARY 13, 2015

'When it comes to discussions on the state of today’s leadership, one topic that understandably comes up is the issue of women in leadership. Specifically, why there continues to be so few women holding senior-level leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. It’s an issue that’s been weighing on mind over the past few months in light of the growing number of stories of women encountering sexual harassment and outright misogynistic attitudes on university campu

Leadership 209

Leadership Diversity Learning-by-Doing CEO 209

Tanveer Naseer

FEBRUARY 10, 2015

'In this guest piece by David Marquet, Retired U.S. Navy Captain, David chronicles his experiences and mistakes while in command of the submarine the USS Santa Fe to reveal how you can empower your employees and colleagues to think for themselves. * * * * * We were in the final stages of a cat-and-mouse game with the enemy diesel submarine. The simulated war had escalated to the point where our submarine was authorized to sink it.

Power 204

Power Download Resistance Bottom-up 204

Tanveer Naseer

JULY 21, 2015

The following is a guest piece by Mike Figliuolo. The phrase “think outside the box” makes me physically ill. It’s trite and isn’t at all practical. But inside the box? That’s where great leaders go to get more out of their teams. You can too with a simple assessment tool that provides insights as to how to most effectively lead the unique members of your team.

Leadership 198

Leadership McKinsey Cost Comparison 198

Tanveer Naseer

DECEMBER 22, 2015

As 2015 begins to wind down, many of us – myself included – are understandably eager to wrap up the remaining work threads of this year so we can shift our focus to what we’d like to achieve and move forward with in the New Year. Indeed, researchers at Wharton University have found that moments that stir notions of a fresh start or a new beginning are aligned with that internal motivation we all have to strive to do better, to be better than we are today.

Learning-by-Doing 159

Learning-by-Doing Goal Long-term Motivation 159

Tanveer Naseer

DECEMBER 8, 2015

The following is a guest piece from former Microsoft President and Chief Xbox Officer, Robbie Bach. As someone who absolutely loves sports, I follow the fortunes of various teams and often wonder what makes some more successful than others. Certainly, there are times where it is all about certain players and their transcendent ability to carry the team – Michael Jordan made the Chicago Bulls and they have never been the same since he left.

Team 159

Team Rogers Diversity Franchising 159

Tanveer Naseer

DECEMBER 1, 2015

The following is a guest piece by New York Times bestselling author, Kevin Kruse. Do you ever feel like you know what you should be doing as a leader, but there just isn’t enough time to actually do it? How do successful people create pockets of time so they can become a leader of people, not just managers of tasks? I recently had the chance to interview over 200 highly successful people including billionaires, millionaires and many CEOs who were leading small and large teams alike.

Energy 157

Energy Leadership System Productivity 157