Cultivating the essential ingredient in leadership: Energy

By Brett Steenbarger

There is a very simple measure of the health and culture of any team or organization: its energy level. Among high-energy groups, we witness motivation by inspiration. There is a buzz in the air. Individuals and teams are innovating, displaying enthusiasm and optimism about their work. In lower-energy organizations, we see motivation by tasks and timelines. There is a sense of busy-ness, but little excitement about the business of the group.

In this article, we will examine the role of energy in leadership, including the novel perspectives of a military Special Operations leader who has lived leadership on the battlefield and in the boardroom.

Leadership As Focused, Directed Energy

When we examine the writings of those who have worked extensively with leaders and organizations, the energy factor pops up repeatedly. Tom Peters, in his book The Little Big Things, explains that “the ‘business’ of leaders at all levels is to help those in their charge develop beyond their dreams” (emphasis mine). Consider what this means: the effective leader perceives strengths and potentials that may be invisible to team members. Such leadership is more than instrumental; it is grounded in a vision. It transforms.

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Keeping your team innovative requires leadership finesse

By Dr. Rachel MK Headley

Although often draped in HR-y words like “retention,” the success of your team is entirely in your hands. Their ability to execute on your vision is a choice that you make, and knowing how to leverage their strengths based on who they are will revolutionize your approach to leading your team.

 

 

The Challenge

I count myself among a growing group of entrepreneurial CEOs. We work crazy hours, want to create constantly and are eager to solve problems.

Entrepreneurial CEOs have special challenges when it comes to leading their team. There’s a constant level of change within their organizations. And, although your team knows that there is a dull roar of constant new ideas, this level of chaos can be difficult for your team to maintain for any length of time.

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Senior Level Manager for Payroll Tax

The Payroll Tax Senior Manager is responsible for the oversight of all payroll tax processes Federal, State, and Local and will be responsible for Corporate Payroll Stock Accounting.

 

 

Key Responsibilities:

  • Manage the payroll tax team in delivering customer service, including responding to inquiries related to payroll from our client, properties, workers and various internal departments
  • Ensure payroll tax compliance, including tax deposits, filings, and reconciliations to the general ledger are accurate and completed in a timely manner
  • Monitor tax law changes and partner with client on interpretation and implementation.
  • Oversee all tax filings for Fed, State and Local jurisdictions, provides recommendation to the client based on tax changes and publications.
  • Responsible for all payroll tax and stock accounting for all US based properties and US corporate offices.
  • Collaborate in development, testing, and troubleshooting of all system changes with the client, IT, etc. as it relates to payroll tax
  • Implement continuous process improvement to include the adoption of best practices, and updating standard operating procedures accordingly
  • Engage with senior management and be the subject matter expert for payroll and payroll tax-related matters, expatriates, 1099 reporting matters, payroll general ledger mapping/reporting.
  • Ensure the proper controls and procedures are in place, documented and followed as well as working with internal audit in testing the effectiveness of the controls

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How a Superstar Affects Your Ratings

by Gavin Cassar

Subjectively evaluating people can have long-lasting effects.

Imagine yourself speed dating.

The first person sits across from you and the attraction is instant. You begin chatting and find the words come easily. In fact, they pour out. As the minutes melt away, you realise you’ve probably never felt this deeply connected to anyone before. But then, time is up, and you are suddenly staring into the face of a new stranger.

How much of a fair chance does this new person have to make a good impression on you? Alternatively, how would your perception of this second date change had your first interaction been a total dud? The quality of that first interaction influences the way we judge future, similar experiences.

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Empathy is an essential leadership skill — and there’s nothing soft about it

by  Prudy Gourguechon

I get tired of hearing about “soft skills,” even when it’s acknowledged they are important. No less a hard-muscled body than the U.S. Army, in its Army Field Manual on Leader Development (one of the best resource on leadership I’ve ever seen) insists repeatedly that empathy is essential for competent leadership.

 

Why? Empathy enables you to know if the people you’re trying to reach are actually reached. It allows you to predict the effect your decisions and actions will have on core audiences and strategize accordingly. Without empathy, you can’t build a team or nurture a new generation of leaders. You will not inspire followers or elicit loyalty. Empathy is essential in negotiations and sales: it allows you to know your target’s desires and what risks they are or aren’t willing to take.

Elsewhere I’ve proposed a short list of 5 essential cognitive capacities and personality traits that every leader who assumes great responsibility must have. Empathy is one of the core five. (The others are self-awareness, trust, critical thinking and discipline/self-control.)

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