September, 2017

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Eight Techniques to Help Your Middle Managers Cultivate Their “Sweet Spot” in Your Organization

Let's Grow Leaders

On paper, your middle managers are in your organization’s sweet spot. They’re the conduits between your strategic vision and the teams who implement that vision. In reality, however, your middle managers are in a tough place. They’re under increasing pressure–from above to […].

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The Leadership Wisdom of Kung Fu

N2Growth Blog

You may not remember the hit TV series from the 70s that traced the adventures of a Shaolin Monk, Kwai Chang Caine (played by the late David Carradine) as he wanders the American West armed only with his spiritual training and skill in Kung Fu. But, if you were a young boy back then, as I was, there was really nothing better on TV! The showed aired on ABC from 1972 through 1975.

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Leadership According to a Horse

Lead Change Blog

No-one I speak to disputes the fact that we live in a VUCA world full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. We are living in a world where change is ever greater, where the future is less predictable, where the options increase exponentially, and the way we think about these options has undoubtedly changed. Today, leaders are inundated with huge amounts of information and need to make decisions faster than ever.

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Leadership in Stasis

General Leadership

“It might look and seem beautiful and calm; there is a significant difference in ineffective leadership, lack of leadership, and leadership that is in stasis.” Joe Thornell Sr. . All three leadership situations are damaging to the organization and the people. Ineffective leadership shows some attempt at leading, however for any number of reasons, there is an inability to make things happen.

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Recruit and Retain New Blue-Collar Talent

Blue-collar jobs have a branding problem. One company, GEON, partnered with Paycor to find the solution. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain blue-collar employees, helping them build meaningful careers – and support your company’s goals.

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Why Connection is a Matter of Life and Death

Michael Lee Stallard

This week I want to share two outstanding TED Talks with you that demonstrate how both quantitative and qualitative research are coming to the conclusion that human connection improves the quality and length of our lives. I’d encourage you to watch the entire talks. For those who don’t have time, a few highlights follow. Richard Waldinger, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, on Happiness.

Bond 278
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4 Critical Leadership Traits That Drive Success And Growth

Tanveer Naseer

This past summer, my daughter Malaika worked at her first summer job, which also happened to be her first time in a true leadership role. As one of two co-ordinators of her high school’s orientation camp, she was not only responsible for managing the various activities to help new students become more familiar with the school, but she was also in charge of overseeing the 24 camp mentors who were there to support the new students.

More Trending

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The Value of Value Chain Analysis in Transforming Your Business

N2Growth Blog

I have a different take on value chain analysis. Most think of it as positioning a business within its ecosystem. I think of a value chain as a graphical representation of all of the work that must be done by a business or work area in order to provide its goods/services (i.e., “value”) to its customers. Value chains are a valuable means of presenting a normalized view of the business.

Analysis 315
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No Formal Leadership Training? No Problem!

Lead Change Blog

To say I ‘fell’ into leadership is probably a little unfair, but when I found myself running a small sales team several years ago, I fully admit to suffering from imposter syndrome. Somehow, I’d achieved a position of authority (and a board seat) without any formal training. Not only that, but I’d spent several years at the same company working within the lower ranks.

Training 320
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Happy Labor Day

General Leadership

Taking a break to celebrate a respite from our labors today. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow! Thanks for tuning in to GeneralLeadership.com where we bring Advice from America’s Most Trusted Leaders to YOU!… Read the rest.

Advice 239
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The Most Important Question Every Leader Must Answer – Before It Is Asked

Terry Starbucker

The manager slumps on his desk, frustrated and confused. In his mind, he has done everything right to manage his team to success. He carefully explained to them the task at hand and its deadline for completion, how it was supposed to get done (and by whom), and outlined the expected results. He monitored the resulting team activity and provided useful feedback.

Metrics 233
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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3 Key Steps To Finding Purpose In What You Do

Tanveer Naseer

A few days ago, I got to live one of my dreams. That’s something that not all of us get to say, which is why I realized that it’s worth taking the time to share this important milestone here on my leadership blog. So what was this dream that came true for me? Well, this past Sunday, I had the privilege of giving a TEDx talk as one of the speakers at the TEDxConcordia event , something I’m sure you’ve probably figured out from seeing the picture above of me standing on the

Goal 278
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One Easy Way to Encourage Your Team

Let's Grow Leaders

I took my bike to the cycling shop for a quick repair before heading out for a beautiful Saturday afternoon ride in Breckenridge. Recognizing me from the last time, the manager asked where I’d been riding so far this summer. I shared, […].

Team 404
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Speeding Change by Slowing Down

N2Growth Blog

I have always believed that the fastest path to the future is found through increasing velocity of change. I don’t believe I’ll get much push-back on that statement, but I’m rather certain I’ll encounter some resistance with my next one: Increasing velocity of change is best accomplished by slowing down. Most CEOs feel as if they’re in a race to change the future, and they would be correct.

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A leader’s job is never done

Lead Change Blog

Given that our state was in the path of totality for the August 2017 solar eclipse, people in our neighborhood gathered to watch. The closer we were to the time of totality, the larger the crowd became. Within five minutes of the awe-inspiring ninety seconds of darkness and coolness, the crowd had largely dispersed. The lost interest and crowd thinning-out triggered thoughts in my mind of how we tend to think about many things, including leadership, mostly in terms of their headline-making momen

Discount 309
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5 Ways to Improve DE&I in the Workplace

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical for an organization’s success. And companies that take bold action to help ensure an inclusive workplace will win every time. Discover how your company can create a culture that celebrates DE&I while achieving higher revenue and growth.

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How to Take a Stand Without Polarizing Others

Jesse Lyn Stoner Blog

Are you fatigued and dishearten by the current amount of polarization in the world today? Are you frustrated with leadership that divides instead of unites? Instead of wishing someone would do something about it and feeling helpless, focus on the place you have the most control – your own immediate sphere of influence. Take an honest […].

How To 243
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Become a generative listener

Persuasive Powerhouse

There is a kind of non-listening that goes on in our society and organizations that is distracted and disjointed, and often marked by interruptions. This non-listening doesn’t focus on the person speaking. Rather, the listeners try their hardest to get their ideas into the conversation. If you’ve experienced this, you know how frustrated you can be both as someone trying to be heard, as well as the listener who is trying to stay focused.

Open-book 248
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5 Simple Steps For Cutting Your Work Addiction Habit

Tanveer Naseer

The following is a guest piece by Dave Crenshaw. Have you become allergic to fun? I suppose it’s an abrupt question to ask. If I were to ask that of someone, I can understand them taking it personally and responding with “buzz off” or some incantation of that phrase. But, have you? Many of us have lost touch with our ability to enjoy, let alone have fun.

Open-book 277
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5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of September 4, 2017

Let's Grow Leaders

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five leadership articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like […].

Article 342
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No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Drama, End Entitlement and Drive Big Results

Speaker: Cy Wakeman, M.S., CSP, President, Reality-Based Leadership

Most HR leadership philosophies are grounded in two completely faulty assumptions — “change is hard” and “engagement drives results.” Those beliefs have inspired expensive attempts to keep change from being disruptive to employees. What these engagement programs actually do is create and reinforce feelings of victim-hood and leave employees unprepared to adapt to real changes that are necessary for the health and profitability of their enterprises.

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Business Agility Is Really About Adaptability

N2Growth Blog

Most of my clients these days are seeking help in developing strategies that will enable them to become more agile and quick. But, many struggle to embrace the deeper implications of what that really means to build business agility. Sure, nearly everyone I speak with on the subject recognizes that business agility is about being able to readily respond to changes in the marketplace.

Agility 293
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What I Learned When I Quit the Rat Race

Lead Change Blog

“The future is called ‘perhaps,’ which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to allow that to scare you.”. Tennessee Williams. For thirty-three long years, climbing the corporate ladder was my only goal. Success to me was always being in the spotlight and reaching the top. To achieve my goal, I had worked hard and grown through the ranks.

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How to Listen Like a Leader

Leadership Freak

Listening like a leader enables you to make the world about others. An outward mindset precedes leadership. Get started: Take out a pen and paper. Write your responses to the questions that follow.

How To 248
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Talking About What Matters (Part 3)

Leading in Context

By Linda Fisher Thornton I have heard from readers that this topic is timely and they hope this series will not end with just 2 posts - so here is Part 3! Talking About What Matters In the post Talking About What Matters (Part 1) I explored how talking about ethical values engages people, helps them find meaning and improves the organization’s metrics.

Ethics 236
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Innovation: Five Signs You Might Be Faking It

Every company wants to be a leader in innovation, but how can you tell if your company is really innovating or just going through the motions? See the 5 signs you might be faking innovation and what to do if you are.

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Coaching is more than asking questions

Persuasive Powerhouse

I’ve seen a lot written and said about how important it is for people managers to coach the people around them. Often, the enthusiasm about coaching is anchored in leaders asking more questions rather than telling others what to do. Asking, not telling, is an admirable way to lead others, and is an important skill for coaching. Yet as someone who teaches leaders to coach others, just asking questions isn’t enough to really coach people.

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5 Stages of Manager Soul Loss #WinningWell

Let's Grow Leaders

As we’ve travelled around the world sharing our Winning Well message– that yes, it is possible to get results that last without losing your soul– along with the tools to help, so many managers have shared, “well, I don’t think I’ve quite […].

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Doing Digital Right: Ensuring Alignment of Business Strategy and Transformation Planning

N2Growth Blog

A manufacturing industry client had put a Digital Transformation Planning process in place before I began working them last year. The management team had done many of the right things in getting the planning program off of the ground – training, governance and executive oversight were all in place. But, they felt that the Digital Transformation Planning process wasn’t really getting them where it needed to be.

Planning 237
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Preview Thursday: No Ego by Cy Wakeman

Lead Change Blog

The following post is a preview excerpt from the Introduction of No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Drama in the Workplace, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results by Cy Wakeman. Shut the Conventional Door. My entry into Reality-Based Leadership started with the Open-Door Policy. After several years as a family therapist, I got a promotion in my organization.

Open-book 260
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Tough Comp Conversations: A Guide For Doing Them Right

Speaker: Rusty Lindquist, VP Strategic HR Insights at Bamboo HR

Compensation can be tricky, few things carry as much emotional weight as comp. And with the increased transparency in the market, combined with our collective propensity to rate ourselves against others, the frequency of these very difficult conversations is increasing. In this webinar, we will deconstruct some of the psychology around comp. We’ll take an analytic look at comp’s role in the employee experience, and then we’ll get really tactical with guidance on very specific compensation conver

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How to be Tough When You Prefer Being Kind

Leadership Freak

Stress increases when leaders can’t bring kind and tough together. Kind without tough makes you a pushover. Tough without kind makes you a jerk. Accountability is candy to some leaders.

How To 244
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Ethical Leadership Interview on Culture Hacker Podcast

Leading in Context

By Linda Fisher Thornton I am delighted that Shane Green, author of Culture Hacker, invited me to be a guest on his podcast to talk about ethical leadership and culture. Culture is what we make of it. As leaders, it's our job to make it an engaging, ethical, high-trust environment where people can do the very best work of their lives. And while we're doing that, the world is watching. .

Ethics 234
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3 Vital Skills Every Leader Needs

Women on Business

We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] If you haven't already done so, update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. [link].

Skills 242
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7 Ways to Lead Friends and Former Peers

Let's Grow Leaders

Betrayed Joe stomped into the meeting room, slammed the door shut, and yelled at me, “How could you let this happen?” He had just been fired by the company president. I snapped back, “Me?? I’m not the one who didn’t show up […].

Company 314
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10 HR Metrics to Track in 2024

Discover the power of HR metrics. Master recruiting, control skyrocketing labor costs, and reduce turnover rates. Get insights into key metrics like Time-to-Fill, Cost-per-Hire, and Turnover Rate. Equip your business for success in 2024.