What social-sector leaders need to succeed

By Laura Callanan, Nora Gardner, Lenny Mendonca, and Doug Scott

Chronic underinvestment is placing increasing demands on social-sector leaders. New research suggests ways they can meet the leadership challenge.

It’s no secret that high-performing leadership is synonymous with private-sector success. Nor is there any shortage of research into the leadership qualities that matter most, their potential impact on financial performance, and the importance of investments in leadership development. But what about leadership quality and development in the fast-growing social sector? Continue reading

Why Great Leadership Fuels Innovation

By Patrick Lencioni

Bringing new ideas to life requires teamwork that only great leaders can elicit.

Admit it: you’re a little obsessed with innovation. I don’t blame you. Considering how fast markets evolve in today’s global economy and how quickly technology changes compared with even a decade ago, your growth almost certainly depends on creating new products–and new ways to serve customers–no matter what industry you’re in. Continue reading

The Golden Rules of Thought Leadership

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

Learning Is the Most Celebrated Neglected Activity in the Workplace

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

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