Tag Archives: business

Stop Trying to Find Your True Self at Work

Posted on

by Gianpiero Petriglieri

 

Clarity often visits unexpectedly, and it seldom stays for long. Especially when it concerns who we really are.

One morning last winter I was holding on to a ski lift absentmindedly, half enjoying watching Jen and our children being dragged up the mountain ahead of me, and half worrying about a sentence that I kept reshuffling in my mind.

I had gotten up early after a late night writing to meet a looming deadline, and neither hot coffee nor cold sunshine had yet managed to wake me up entirely.

The realization aptly found me there. Attached to my family, to my work, and to a cable pulled slowly upwards by a tired engine. It hit me with absolute certainty. The feeling that this restless, quiet, groggy, loving, worried, sporty bag of being was me.

My true self, I mean. Who I really am. Continue reading →

How Leaders Should Equip Themselves to Lead In 2020

Posted on

Image result for rhett power by Rhett Power

While we don’t have a crystal ball, there are trends and topics that can help leaders prepare for the future.

Heads up! 2020 is only five years away…and we all know how quickly time passes. As every leader knows, planning for the future starts now. While we don’t have a crystal ball, there are trends and topics that can help us prepare.

Three current thoughts on how leaders should equip themselves to lead in 2020 include: Continue reading →

What CEOs Are Afraid Of

Posted on

By Roger Jones

Deep-seated fears — of looking ridiculous, losing social status, speaking up, and much, much more — saddle children in the middle school lunchroom, adults on the therapist’s couch, and even, my research has found, executives in the C-Suite. While few executives talk about them, deep and uncontrolled private fears can spur defensive behaviors that undermine how they and their colleagues set and execute company strategy.

In 2014, I surveyed 116 CEOs and other executives, interviewing 27 in depth afterwards. Of the 116 survey participants, 73% were male, 27% were female, and all but 9% were based in Europe. About a third (32%) were CEOs or presidents; 31% were division/business unit heads; 30% were senior managers reporting to division/business unit heads; and 7% were in investment or professional services firms. Continue reading →

Smart Leaders Are OK with Seeming Uncertain

Posted on

By Don Moore

The expression of confidence is intimately tied up with leadership.  Would-be leaders are careful to present a confident face because it helps gain them credibility and convince others that they know what they are doing.

When George W. Bush faced John Kerry in their first Presidential debate in 2004, Bush criticized Kerry for having vacillated on the war in Iraq.  “I just know how this world works,” Bush declared.  “And in the councils of government, there must be certainty from the U.S. President.”  Even those who may have disagreed with Bush’s policies may nevertheless support this view.  In his profile of President Barack Obama, Michael Lewis put it this way: “After you have made your decision, you need to feign total certainty about it. People being led do not want to think probabilistically.” Continue reading →

How Great Coaches Ask, Listen, and Empathize

Posted on

by Ed Batista

Historically, leaders achieved their position by virtue of experience on the job and in-depth knowledge. They were expected to have answers and to readily provide them when employees were unsure about what to do or how to do it. The leader was the person who knew the most, and that was the basis of their authority.

Leaders today still have to understand their business thoroughly, but it’s unrealistic and ill-advised to expect them to have all the answers. Organizations are simply too complex for leaders to govern on that basis. One way for leaders to adjust to this shift is to adopt a new role: that of coach. By using coaching methods and techniques in the right situations, leaders can still be effective without knowing all the answers and without telling employees what to do. Continue reading →