June, 2014

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Don’t Spank the Gorilla

Leadership Freak

'Don’t expect the gorilla to cooperate if you’re spanking him. Insults don’t enhance influence. You can’t antagonize and influence at the same time.

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The Top 20 Leadership Books For A New Manager

Eric Jacobsen Blog

'A couple years ago, I posted the question “ What’s The First Leadership Book You Would Give To A New Manager ?” within the discussion forum for the LinkedIn group Linked 2 Leadership. That question generated 603 comments. Some people suggested more than one book. The book suggestions remain important recommendations even today. So, here were the results : · 412 different/unique books were recommended · The Top 20 recommended books, collectively, received 250 of the total recommendations · Two a

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Four Leadership Trust Busters

Kevin Eikenberry

'Trust. Your ability to lead is severely hampered without it, and the more of it you have, the easier leadership becomes. Plus, with greater trust comes greater speed of implementation, clearer communication and much more. It is certainly something that leaders must spend time creating and working intently to maintain. There are many things that […].

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Why Smart People Struggle with Strategy

Harvard Business Review

'Strategy is often seen as something really smart people do — those head-of-the-class folks with top-notch academic credentials. But just because these are the folks attracted to strategy doesn’t mean they will naturally excel at it. The problem with smart people is that they are used to seeking and finding the right answer; unfortunately, in strategy there is no single right answer to find.

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The Hidden Skills That Separate Good Leaders from Great Ones

Speaker: Chandra McCormack, CPA, MBA, NACD.DC

Technical degrees might open doors—but it’s the soft skills that keep them open. In the face of disruption, evolving workplace dynamics, and rising expectations of leadership, soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and presence have become core business essentials—not nice-to-haves. Inspired by stories from her father coupled with her own career journey, seasoned executive Chandra McCormack breaks down how to lead with impact, connect with purpose, and cultivate a workplace cult

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How to Deal with People Who Drive You Crazy

Leadership Freak

'Crazy people are everywhere. Changing jobs won’t help. Deal with them now, or deal with them later. You can’t escape! 12 Crazies: Dramatic Dennis thinks everything’s a crisis.

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7 Marks of Engaged Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Disengaged leaders lead by decree. The ability to calculate percentages isn’t leadership. It doesn’t take a college education to raise last quarter’s results by 5% and call it next quarter’s goal.

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7 Ways Quiet Leaders Get the Most From Talkers

Leadership Freak

'Quiet leaders struggle with talkers. They wonder if we’ll ever shut up. Leaders should be wondering if they talk too little not too much. 10 dangers of talkative leaders: Forgetfulness.

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12 Ways to Become Extraordinary

Leadership Freak

'Some leaders become extraordinary. But, average is normal. You climb and struggle toward extraordinary. Mediocrity is a comfortable slide. Extraordinary leadership is rare because it requires: Fierce focus. Finely honed skills. Fanatical commitment.

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10 Things Young Leaders Need to Succeed

Leadership Freak

'The Success of young leaders is the future of organizations. Old leaders, who cling to leadership, limit their legacy. Act like you’ll be gone next year. Rigor: Call for commitment.

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The Leadership Freak Code of Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Leaders without a code follow the course of least resistance. Life becomes unstable, stressful, and frustrating. Leaders without guiding principles are undependable followers. Power: Your leadership code is the foundation of decision making.

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Future of HR: Navigating Transformation in the Digital Age

Speaker: Jeremy York

Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of the rapidly evolving HR landscape as we examine how technological innovation, regulatory changes, talent strategies, and evolving diversity approaches are reshaping the profession. This webinar will provide HR professionals with practical insights on leveraging AI and emerging technologies while maintaining compliance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

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32 Things to say to Young Leaders

Leadership Freak

'Why aren’t you asking for feedback? Tell me who you want to become in behavioral terms. Why do you matter? Tell me what you expect from yourself. Pursue clarity by asking more questions.

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10 Ways to Become the Leader Others Value

Leadership Freak

'It’s not “just” business. We are born to connect. The greatest “ship” in leadership is relationship. The priority of relationship came home to me in a follow-up call with Bob Buford.

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7 Ways to Have Tough Compassion

Leadership Freak

'Compassion goes wrong when it coddles. Tough compassion calls for extraordinary commitment that stretches people. Coddling prevents people from achieving their best. Image source Coddling compassion: Don’t coddle at the beginning of challenging projects.

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How to Motivate Others to Commit

Leadership Freak

'Frustrated leaders ask, “How can I convince others to do what I want them to do?” Why is commitment so low? Reluctance: Reluctance to commit is natural and healthy.

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4 HR Priorities for 2025 to Supercharge Your Employee Experience

Speaker: Carolyn Clark and Miriam Connaughton

Forget predictions, let’s focus on priorities for the year and explore how to supercharge your employee experience. Join Miriam Connaughton and Carolyn Clark as they discuss key HR trends for 2025—and how to turn them into actionable strategies for your organization. In this dynamic webinar, our esteemed speakers will share expert insights and practical tips to help your employee experience adapt and thrive.

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12 Ways Young Leaders Earn Admiration from Elders

Leadership Freak

'You can’t succeed if people don’t admire something about you. The more admiration you earn, the further you’ll go. Opportunity and admiration go hand in hand. Don’t set out to be admired.

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One Response to Ten Dangers Leaders Face

Leadership Freak

'Every leader wonders if its worth the struggle, from time to time. Only the naive make light of the difficulties ahead. Washouts line the shore. The greatest dangers lie within.

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7 Ways to Break Destructive Patterns

Leadership Freak

'Lousy leaders solve the same problems over and over. When problems feel familiar, negative patterns prevail.

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How Two Conversations Changed A Life

Leadership Freak

'You are who you are today, in large part, because of words you heard, not words you said. Unfocused: Mark entered college, like so many, unsure of what he wanted.

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How to Make The Best Benefits Decisions for 2025's Workforce: An HR and Total Rewards Guide

Speaker: Kaitlin Ruby Carroll

Retaining top talent in 2025 means rethinking benefits. In a competitive job market, fertility benefits are more than just offerings - they are a commitment to your team’s well-being. Gain critical insights into the latest fertility benefits strategies that can help position your organization as an industry leader. Our expert will explore the unique advantages and challenges of each model, share success stories from top organizations, and offer practical strategies to make benefits decisions tha

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Winning with Leadership’s Greatest Danger

Leadership Freak

'Success destroys leaders by encouraging them to repeat the past. Leadership is always about the future. Repetition: Repeating the past prevents you from building on it. Success confirms and solidifies, then it destroys.

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10 Ways to Deal with Weaknesses in Others

Leadership Freak

'Everyone is great at some things and lousy at others. Arrogant leaders compare the weaknesses of others to their strengths. Don’t judge others by the way they compare to you.

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Results Aren’t the Real Issue

Leadership Freak

'Results never magically appear just because you want them. Wanting and producing are two different things. Future results aren’t real. Its easy to want to be a successful leader. Only fools want to fail.

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When Assuming the Best is the Worst

Leadership Freak

'Assume the best about others until history says assume the worst. Believe history not hope.

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The Diversity Reckoning: Can HR Survive Without New Perspectives?

Speaker: Jeremy York

2024 has tested every organization, and 2025 promises no less - the warning signs are everywhere. If you’re relying on superficial approaches to diversity, you might find yourself scrambling to catch up. Thought diversity - the fuel for new ideas, fresh perspectives, and disruptive innovation - is more than a buzzword. It's a survival strategy. And if you’re not building it into your workplace culture right now , you’re heading for trouble.

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Secrets to Great Presentations

Leadership Freak

'Leaders who present well, extend their influence, broaden their impact, and advance their careers. Great talkers have an advantage. Two questions: Ask the most important question presenters forget to ask.

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7 Ways to Break the Bondage of Old Patterns

Leadership Freak

'Predictability is stability, until it shackles. Old patterns are hard to break because they worked, once. But, you’ve changed and what worked once is bondage now.

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10 ways to Enhance Charisma

Leadership Freak

'Admiration converts to influence. Charismatic leaders achieve results through presence and personality. People seek the approval of charismatic leaders. They love giving them what they want. Magnetism and influence characterize charismatic leaders.

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How to Find the One Thing Everything Else Needs

Leadership Freak

'The success of every project or initiative boils down to one essential behavior. The one thing is – the thing – everything else hangs on.

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Recognition Powers High-Performance — If You Do it Right

Speaker: Radhika Samant and Todd Wuestenberg

Employee recognition has often been deemed a "feel-good" initiative, tied closely to rewards. While we understand its importance, we tend to associate recognition with intangible outcomes like engagement and sentiment, rather than direct impacts on retention and high performance. In today’s workplace, the true ROI of recognition lies in its ability to regenerate tangible, business-driven results.

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The Little Eye and the Big Eye

Leadership Freak

'Leaders who can’t focus, fail. The benefit of focus is the power to disregard. Leaders with focus, like horses with blinders, ignore distractions. Distraction: Distraction makes weak leaders feel powerful.

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Three Steps Toward Getting What You Want

Leadership Freak

'You won’t produce the results you desire until you define and engage in the behaviors that get you there and stop the behaviors that don’t.

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When “But” Makes you a Sphincter-Leader

Leadership Freak

'Sphincter-leaders unwittingly throw cold water on enthusiasm. A happy employee catches you in the hall. “Project ‘A’ is going well,” they report. It’s obvious they feel good.

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7 Ways to Rise Above Pie in the Sky

Leadership Freak

'Long-term goals are delusions, if you can’t produce results, now. Leaders deceive themselves, and others, with pie-in-the-sky goals.

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The Upskilling Advantage: Transforming Your Workforce For Future Growth

Speaker: Brian Richardson

With a staggering 92% of CEOs prioritizing skill development, and 84% struggling with transformation, mastering upskilling is now more critical than ever. Drawing on extensive research and collaboration with hundreds of leading organizations, discover key hurdles and innovative best practices in workforce upskilling. You'll walk away with a deep understanding of how to build a culture of continuous learning, expert insights into assessing the current skills of your employees, and a strategic too