Tag Archives: Careers

The Golden Rules of Thought Leadership

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By John Rampton

Here are must do’s for becoming an elite expert in your field.

All Thought Leaders are experts in their industry, but not all experts in their industry are Thought Leaders. It’s a title reserved for only the most elite, and there’s no guaranteed path to get there. Much like getting a nickname as an Astronaut, it’s something you have to earn, and it’s something that can only be bestowed upon you from others, much like a Philosopher. Becoming a Thought Leader should never be an end goal, but the common best practices to get there should be revered by all. Continue reading →

The Unspoken Leadership Skill You Need to Survive

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By Samuel B. Bacharach

No matter how large or small your organization, your political skills play a critical role in your success as a leader.

Recently, I attended the Inc. 5000 conference, where I conducted a session on skills for moving an agenda. To open, I asked the group if any of them had good ideas that they’ve successfully implemented. One colleague and entrepreneur from Texas told the story of having a great idea, but not having talked to right people, and not having gained the right support.

More often than not, entrepreneurs fail not because of a lack of good idea, or even because of a lack of resources. Leaders fail because they have not honed their political competence. For the past generation, we’ve talked all about “leadership,” but political skills are only politely whispered about, if they are mentioned at all.

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Learning Is the Most Celebrated Neglected Activity in the Workplace

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by Gianpiero Petriglieri

When I am invited to “teach leadership” to managers in corporations, I use the first few minutes to address the issue of where and how one learns to lead—and what gets in the way. I usually begin with a confession and a question.

My confession is always the same. That I am hoping to learn something from our encounter, brief as it may be, that I will remember and use. This is what I believe good leaders and good teachers have in common—the commitment to keep learning as they practice.

I have never met a manager who disagrees. Good leaders, they tell me, like good teachers, raise tough questions and make others feel stretched, empowered, inspired. Mediocre ones issue commands and make others feel overlooked, bored, underutilized. Continue reading →

Why I Connect With Strangers on LinkedIn

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Bresman Blog.jpgby Henrik Bresman

In online and real-world networking, the same principle applies: You never know when you might make a crucial connection.

Social networks are like any other social environment: No two have exactly the same standards of acceptable behaviour. For good reasons, most of us would think twice before granting a Facebook friend request from a stranger. And since the workplace tends to have more rigid social standards than other areas of life, people commonly assume that their cache of connections on LinkedIn – the leading internet venue for professional networking – should be similarly exclusive, if not more so. Continue reading →

Feeling Good Friday

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by Gayle Hilgendorff

About ten years ago (or was it fifteen?  I seem to take five years off of everything I remember to make me feel younger), back in my corporate executive days, the ‘Corporate Word of the Year’ was Paradigm.  You know what I mean, right?  Every year or so, the corporate world buzzes with some new word or phrase.  Laser Focus.  At the end of the day (add calming observation here…).  Synergy.  Disruptive Innovation.  Mindshare.  Shout them out – I’m sure you all know a few of them, including whatever word or phrase that is most popular right now.  Paradigm was used when talking about doing something differently.  “We have a new paradigm”.  “We need to consider a new paradigm”.  “Try to imagine a new paradigm.”  “Let’s create a new paradigm”.  “It’s a paradigm shift.” Continue reading →