N2Growth Blog

JANUARY 6, 2011

In fact, there are some very bright people who believe you cannot become a good leader without developing a mastery for using the word no as evidenced by the following quote from Tony Blair: “The art of leadership is saying no , not saying yes.” Let me ask you a few simple questions: How do you feel when you’re told no?

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N2Growth Blog

JANUARY 10, 2011

News Flash – If you have to look for leadership it doesn’t exist…Today’s post is not going to sit well with many in the leadership profession, but then many of my posts seem to have that effect. They are the ones people turn to when things get tough. They are the ones people turn to when things get tough.

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N2Growth Blog

OCTOBER 28, 2010

So much so, that if you don’t think timing is everything - think again. However it has been my observation that you will rarely come across someone who possesses a great sense of timing that is anything other than successful. The longer you wait to seize the opportunity the smaller the return typically is.

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N2Growth Blog

DECEMBER 13, 2010

For those of you not familiar with Kevin, he is a two-time best selling author and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group , a learning consulting company that has been helping organizations, teams and individuals reach their potential since 1993. You may not think of your leadership journey as a walk.

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N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 29, 2010

Complicating matters further for CEOs attempting to determine what to do about bonuses is all the recent media attention and public outrage in regard to what is perceived by many to be excessive, frivolous compensation. There are those who passionately argue for and against the merits of year-end bonuses.

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N2Growth Blog

AUGUST 24, 2010

Take a moment and reflect back on any great leader that comes to mind…you’ll find that they are very adept at reading between the lines. Warning: this post isn’t going to coddle you and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy – it is rather blunt and to the point. Want to become a better leader?

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N2Growth Blog

AUGUST 22, 2010

Trust me when I tell you that being out of touch is never a good position to find yourself in as the CEO. I rarely come across leaders who couldn’t benefit from being more meaningfully engaged on both a broader and deeper basis, and hope that today’ post will encourage you to do just that… ENGAGE.

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N2Growth Blog

JULY 6, 2010

Marshall has authored 30 books (most recently: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There and MOJO ) as well as a plethora of other published material, and his services are in such high demand that his waiting list for new coaching clients has more than an 8 month backlog. I help people understand this and act upon it.

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N2Growth Blog

OCTOBER 20, 2010

While much has been written about what leaders are, today’s post will highlight eight areas that will help you quickly pinpoint what leaders are not. Poor Communication Skills : Show me a leader with poor communication skills and I’ll show you someone who will be short-lived in their position.

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N2Growth Blog

DECEMBER 2, 2010

While today’s post is a bit more kumbaya than most, please don’t check out on me because you perceive this topic too gooey and gushy to be relevant. If you take what follows to heart, it might just change your world. Starting to get my drift? I think it’s a great question.

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N2Growth Blog

JULY 26, 2010

When you think of yourself as a leader do you view yourself as having the quiet confidence of David or the boastful arrogance of Goliath? While arrogant people can and often do succeed in business, I believe that it comes at a great personal and professional cost. I think not.

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N2Growth Blog

JANUARY 3, 2011

If change and innovation weren’t key contributors to sustainable success, and the enterprise could just run on auto-pilot, you could replace the CEO with a General Manager. What do great CEOs do when the business model, the strategic plan, and the revenue hurdles don’t seem to be in alignment? They make changes.

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N2Growth Blog

OCTOBER 22, 2010

As a leader your “Influence Quotient” is the IQ you need to pay attention to. Not only is true influence not difficult to acquire, but it is also sustainable when you understand the proper constructs. Likability : People do business with people they like, and avoid doing business with people they don’t like…it’s just that simple.

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N2Growth Blog

OCTOBER 18, 2010

You can work with someone where the basics are in place, but lacking certain fundamentals, there really isn’t much you can do. Show-up : You can’t make a difference if you don’t show-up. In most sports I’m aware of you cannot play if you don’t suit-up and show-up.

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N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Even if you don’t find yourself having to frequently deal with extreme situations, it is often nothing more than normal dealings in the ordinary course of business that can place you at a nexus…Do you make your decision based upon the facts at hand and sound decisioning metrics, or do you let your emotions drive your decisions?

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N2Growth Blog

DECEMBER 13, 2010

If you’re looking to benchmark your leadership ability the following self examination will give you a baseline to build from. If you check your ego at the door and give a thoughtful, introspective evaluation of your ability, it is likely that you’ll learn something about your leadership abilities or lack thereof.

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N2Growth Blog

APRIL 5, 2010

In the text that follows, I’ll take a closer look at the value of contingency planning… The reality surrounding the success of any implementation is found by understanding that no matter how smart you are, things rarely go as planned. watching things grind to a halt as you scramble to evaluate options, and; 2.)

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N2Growth Blog

MARCH 31, 2010

While they shouldn’t, the reality is that they most certainly do. As the old saying goes “you only get one chance to make a first impression,&# and often times it is the perception of appearance that determines whether or not you are even afforded the opportunity to get up to bat.

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N2Growth Blog

AUGUST 11, 2010

If so, you likely have issues with conflict. Leadership is a full-contact sport, and if you cannot address conflict in a healthy, productive fashion then you should not be in a leadership role. It will find you whether you look for it (good idea – more later) or not.

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N2Growth Blog

DECEMBER 21, 2010

Perhaps, but I’ll let you be the judge. I want to frame my thoughts on the topic of significance by beginning with an excerpt from my book “ Leadership Matters…The CEO Survival Manual “: “By the time you reach the CEO level you should be striving to move beyond success and towards significance.

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N2Growth Blog

JULY 11, 2010

I don’t do so in an attempt to torture you with redundant thought, but rather because I believe it is a message that is often taken far too lightly by chief executives. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you simply cannot decouple the two without causing an organizational implosion.

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N2Growth Blog

APRIL 25, 2010

If your organization confuses loyalty and tenure there is trouble on the horizon…If your business rates tenure higher than performance as a measure for employee evaluation, it is time for you to consider updating your talent management practices and procedures. So, what’s wrong with tenure you ask?

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N2Growth Blog

JULY 8, 2010

I certainly do…but fear not; the lost art of brevity is making a comeback. Those of you that know me have come to understand that I prefer to cut to the chase. I like to get to the root of an issue as quickly as possible. If you think I’m joking when I mention Twitter, think again.

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N2Growth Blog

JANUARY 21, 2011

Which hat, or hats do you wear? Okay, so you founded the company, but does that mean you should also be the chief executive? Did you bestow the title upon yourself simply because you had the authority to do so, or are you the right person for the job? What does a CEO really do anyway?

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N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 10, 2010

Everyone knows you’re a lousy leader if you can’t make decisions. If you can’t make decisions, you can’t get things done. If you suffer from analysis paralysis, procrastination, timidity, a lack of courage or confidence, being indecisive, or being in over your head, there is trouble looming.

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N2Growth Blog

JUNE 29, 2010

Over the years I’ve simply come to the conclusion that many otherwise savvy business people have yet to grasp – you can’t argue with crazy. It is simply not fruitful to attempt to debate business logic with those who do not recognize logic to begin with. So, what can you do when logic and reason fail to prevail?

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N2Growth Blog

DECEMBER 1, 2010

Do you ever find yourself sitting back and marveling at those leaders who always seem to have the right thing to say? Contrast this with the feelings you have when you hear an awful sound-bite that makes a leader look either uninformed or unintelligent. They speak with authority, clarity, and certitude.

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N2Growth Blog

OCTOBER 18, 2010

You cannot separate leadership from decisioning, for like it or not, they are inexorably linked. The fact of the matter is that senior executives who rise to the C-suite do so largely based upon their ability to consistently make sound decisions. They make bad decisions. And in some cases they compound bad decision upon bad decision.

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N2Growth Blog

APRIL 14, 2010

You see, any of the traits identified in the 98 other answers absent character and integrity will eventually lead to some type of disconnect or debacle. You see, any of the traits identified in the 98 other answers absent character and integrity will eventually lead to some type of disconnect or debacle.

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N2Growth Blog

JANUARY 16, 2011

Have you figured out how to apply the laws of scarcity to brand management? If not, then this post is for you. Whether you’re assessing the strength of a personal or corporate brand, finding the appropriate level of brand exposure is key to sustainable growth in brand equity. will go into decline.

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N2Growth Blog

OCTOBER 1, 2010

So this begs the question, why do so many CEOs blow it when it comes to managing their board? From my perspective, CEOs who fail in their attempts to coalesce with the board usually do so as a result of being either arrogant or naive. If you inherit your board, seek to build strong relationships as quickly as possible.

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N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

But in this &# what have you done lately for me&# society where relationships have degenerated into little more than stepping stones, loyalty seems to be elusive as best. When it comes to loyalty, the simple rule is that you will not receive what you will not give. One of the things I tend to value most is loyalty.

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N2Growth Blog

JULY 6, 2010

You should know from the outset that I fundamentally disagree with the concept of CEO term limits, and quite frankly I cannot really come up with a valid reason for supporting such a regressive concept. Why would you ever want the person in charge of corporate leadership, vision and strategy to be a lame duck right from the get go?

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N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

While you may find it hard to believe, I don’t have anything against buzzwords, techno-jargon, colloquialisms, acronyms and other forms of business-speak with the following caveat…that they are used in context, and by someone who possesses an underlying knowledge of what the phrase de jure actually means.

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N2Growth Blog

APRIL 9, 2010

What do you think when you experience poor design in your life? Are you likely to adopt a new software application that is poorly designed? When you are handed a business card that was printed at Kinko’s are you impressed? Are you likely to read a piece of collateral material that is poorly designed?

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N2Growth Blog

MAY 16, 2010

At the risk of drawing the ire of corporate elitists, I submit to you that the dumber your business is, the better off you are. I’m not suggesting for a moment that you don’t want to hire tier-one talent. However I am clearly stating that you don’t want to be dependant upon tier-one talent.

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N2Growth Blog

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

As a leader, the sooner you come to grips with your humility the better leader you’ll become. It is the genuine nature of their subtle & quiet charisma/presence, and not the decibel level of their rhetoric that draws you in. True leaders possess a quiet confidence that attracts attention like a magnet. It was C.S.

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