July, 2013

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20 Ways to Spot Leaders with Understanding

Leadership Freak

'All foolish leaders believe they understand things they don’t. Foolish leaders: Are cocky not confident – fearful. Pretend they like you when they don’t – manipulator. Reject authority – arrogant. Express anger quickly – impulsive. Blab rather than listen – know-it-all. Leaders with understand know they don’t fully understand. Leaders with understanding: Seek guidance as […].

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When To Be A Coach. When To Be A Counselor

Eric Jacobsen Blog

'A good manager is both a coach and a counselor. Generally, coaching should precede counseling. As a coach , a manager: identifies an employee''s need for instruction and direction and this need is usually directly related to his or her performance or career goals. Coaching is collaborative. It relies on mutual, progressive goal-setting, personal feedback, and an ongoing, supportive relationship.

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Checking Your Mental Diet

Kevin Eikenberry

'Last week I wrote about your role in the overall attitude of your organization; today I am leading a teleseminar on dealing with toxic attitudes as a leader (here is the link – and if the event is passed you can order the recording); and now I want to give you specific actions you could [.].

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Your Company Is Only as Good as Your Writing

Harvard Business Review

'Good writing: Businesses claim to practice it, support it, and value it. But more often than not, their money isn''t where their mouth is. Poor grammar and jargon-riddled writing are rampant. We''re great at inventing terms — the instruction manual for my toaster refers to the lever that pops up the toast as the ''Extra-Lift Carriage Control Lever'' — but poor at communicating what we actually mean.

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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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The Seven Qualities of Visionary Leaders

Leadership Freak

'Leave a comment on today’s post to become eligible for one of twenty-five copies of, “The Catalyst Leader.” Vision always centers on people never projects, programs, properties, or profits. Vision focused on anything other than people is ego driven exploitation. Vision answers the question, “How will we make the world better for others?

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Crushing 5 Urgent Leadership Challenges

Leadership Freak

'#1 Productivity: The difference between success and failure is doing things others put off. Protect time with priorities. Some things feel urgent but they don’t matter. Urgencies control weak leaders. Courageous leaders bird-dog priorities. Mission and vision are the purpose behind productivity. What are you really getting done? Daily persistence is the secret to long-term success.

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33 Ways to Tell if You’re a Jackass

Leadership Freak

'You’re a jackass if: People who think you’re a jackass are always wrong. Holding back negatives makes you a nice person. Having the last word is normal for you. Making others squirm keeps them on their toes. You know more than most. Others are jealous because you’re “all that.” Pointing out faults and problems comes […].

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How to be Humble without being a Loser

Leadership Freak

'Hideous leadership is hedonistic, haughty, haphazard, hypocritical, hesitant, and halfhearted. The four weaknesses of haughty leadership. Haughty leaders: Harpoon creativity with bureaucracy. Arrogance needs control. Hassel progress by hounding and meddling. Hovering leaders create hesitant cultures. Hampers initiative by speaking for others. Invite those who have ideas to present them in meetings themselves, regardless of […].

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You Can’t Matter Until You Know What Matters

Leadership Freak

'Leaders define what matters. Organizations grow weak and lethargic until someone creates focus and direction by explaining what’s meaningfully important. Leaders describe what’s relevant. Things that matter capture attention. In the absence of something meaningful, insignificance prevails. Distraction, frustration, and office politics dominate where people don’t know what’s important.

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The Five Declarations of Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Cowardly leaders love hiding in the dark. But, the best we can do is stumble when the lights are out. Declarations shine light in darkness. The five light-giving declarations of leadership: Declare yourself. Stop hiding, pretending, and losing yourself. People need to know who you are and what you are about. You are a light. […].

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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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How to Control Your Control Freak

Leadership Freak

'Control freaks are bullies even when they smile. Anything less than compliance offends control freaks. You’re a control freak if you: Believe perfectionism is the same as excellence. Get irritated when people don’t adapt to you. Possess irritating tenacity. Know better and can do better than others. Nitpick and intervene. Monopolize conversations and interrupt.

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If You Want to Motivate Someone, Shut Up

Leadership Freak

'Raise your hand if you say, “I know you can do it,” to motivate. Recent research suggests that feeling like you can’t motivates more than feeling like you can. Verbal encouragement may not be as encouraging as you believe. Brandon Irwin’s research indicates that working out in the gym with someone who is better than […].

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How to Walk a Crooked Line to Success

Leadership Freak

'Determined leaders, who don’t change direction, end up in the wrong place. The down side of resolve, tenacity, and determination is refusing to learn and adapt as you go. The path to the future is never a straight line. If you can’t change direction you never get there. You always zigzag to big goals. Those […].

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The Most Courageous Act of Leadership

Leadership Freak

'The flying monkeys on the Wizard of Oz scared the crap out of me. But, flying monkeys are nothing compared to the terror of yielding. Yielding feels weak but it reflects courage, power, and heart. Anyone can fight. Great leaders yield. Leaders who don’t yield beat down. Kevin Eikenberry writes that great leaders surrender the […].

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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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How to Strengthen Weak Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Leave a comment on yesterday’s post to become eligible for one of twenty-five FREE copies of, “The Catalyst Leader.” People-pleasing motivates weak leaders. Fear of people prevents weak leaders from addressing tough issues before they escalate to crisis. Weak leaders inevitably weaken organizations. Weak leaders: Prefer needy people. “Instead of confronting individuals they confront […].

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The Bad B’s of Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Bad leadership feels safe like baggy jeans and broken-in sneakers. Bad leadership has a baffling capacity to walk comfortable paths while the world changes. Bold leadership, on the other hand, feels dangerous like learning to walk. Bold leadership feels like almost falling. The difference between safe and dangerous, bad and bold is: Declaring hopes.

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Seven Ways to Push Through Embarrassment

Leadership Freak

'You haven’t led if you haven’t felt embarrassed. Sadly, egocentric fear of embarrassment blocks exceptional. Embarrassment freezes you in your tracks like a deer in the headlights, afraid to move. Embarrassment reflects concern for another’s judgment or opinion. That’s not all bad. The more others judge your contribution as helpful, the more impact you enjoy. […].

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How to Develop Unstoppable Tenacity

Leadership Freak

'Leaders slip into insignificance for lack of tenacity. Everything meaningful requires tenacity. The more meaningful the objective the more tenacity required. Willpower isn’t essential to tenacity, but, terror, hope, and joy are. Terror drives tenacity. Hope invites tenacity. Joy fuels tenacity. Terror Tenacity is a function of fear. I’m often asked how I write every […].

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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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Identify your Point of Greatest Opportunity

Leadership Freak

'The door to personal achievement never opens kindly. It swings on reluctant hinges called resistance. Failure to push through resistance explains why you’re stuck. You came to a doorway and sat down. You started asking: What will people think of me? What if I flop? What if results don’t match aspirations? “Rule of thumb: The […].

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Overcoming the Thing that Holds Leaders Back

Leadership Freak

'Leadership begins with imagination, nothing less, nothing more, and nothing else. Leaders without imagination are followers. Imagination is the thought of that which isn’t. Everything that exists began in someone’s imagination. Once upon a time, before they existed, someone imagined light bulbs. Apart from imagination, we’d all be in the dark.

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How to Get What You Want

Leadership Freak

'The law of consequence says thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and decisions produce corresponding results. Apart from the law of consequence, leadership doesn’t matter. The law of consequence and getting what you want: Give what you want. Four examples of giving what you want. Respect: Young leaders, who want respect from their elders, earn respect by giving […].

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Limericks for Leaders

Leadership Freak

'There’s an inverse relationship between smiles and importance. As importance goes up, smiles go down. Truly important leaders seldom smile. Frankly, some days, I’m way too important. For self-centered leaders: There once was a leader named Jim Who thought it all was about him. He took all the glory From everyone’s story. So all of […].

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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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Only Fools Never Change

Leadership Freak

'I worked for a boss who greedily grabbed the good projects and gave garbage jobs to others. She was a real go-getter who came in early and stayed late. I learned she was: Looking out for number one. It was all about her, even when she was being helpful. Distrustful. Her distrust made others reluctant […].

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How Need to Succeed Holds Back

Leadership Freak

'The up side of the need to succeed is hard work and passion. The down side of the need to succeed is it blocks lasting achievment. Needy leaders choose short-term success over medium or long-term wins. Needy leaders: Make fear based decisions based on protecting themselves. Hold back others rather than release. Manipulate to achieve […].

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Facing the “F” Word in Leadership

Leadership Freak

'I asked one of the world’s most famous leaders about frailty and leadership. He looked at me like I had ten heads. I felt embarrassed to have used the “F” word – frailty. Leaders who changed the world like Gandhi and Jesus had frailties. Frailty and strength live together. One does not eliminate the other. […].

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Go Large: Think People Before Resources

Leadership Freak

'Discouragement is easy. Igniting fires takes wisdom and work. Success always begins with who before what. Kindling great fires: Small before large. Stop waiting for explosive fires. Start small ones now! Explosive opportunities require extensive resources. Leaders, who refuse to start small, whine about lack of resources. Waiting for what could be destroys what can […].

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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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How to be Quick Under Pressure

Leadership Freak

'Agility without direction destroys. You swerve left. They dash left, then right, then left again, until one day it’s too late. The closer your car gets to squirrels in the road the more they panic. Unrelenting pressure creates panic. Anyone can rush around like squirrels on steroids. It takes time to be quick. Rushing […].

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ABC’s for Leaders – “A”

Leadership Freak

'Today’s words for leaders begin with “A.” A’s from Facebook contributors: Appreciation Ally Accessible Affirmation Accountable Available Adroit Adaptive Authenticity Audacious Aspire Alacrity (I had to look that one up. It means: cheerful readiness. Good word.) See the entire list of A’s for leaders on Facebook. My addition to the “A” list is … Attunement: […].

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Seven Ways to Scrape the Bone

Leadership Freak

'This is the twenty-fourth installment of ABC’s for leaders. Today, it’s “X”. I know five “X” words. Xerox Xenophobia Xylophone Xanadu X-ray Last time I did the ABC’s for leaders, I used Xanadu. It’s 5:00 a.m. My coffee cup is only half empty. I’m not in the mood to write about an idyllic, beautiful place. […].

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Subliminal Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Forgive my Saturday silliness and those with mobile devices may have difficulty reading this post. Today’s scintillating post is a selection of surprising “S” words for leaders. Unsuccessful leaders: Shelter from tough truths. Sugarcoating prevents solutions. Solace slackers. Support quickly. Better to allow suffering than step in or sympathize too soon.

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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