Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 30, 2011
Many leaders and managers have a compelling; even perverse interest is fixing things. Average managers solve problems and get results. Great managers build people. A recent conversation with a new manager reminded me that it’s all about people. If you build them, they will fix problems and enhance productivity, not you. If you build them, they [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
OCTOBER 10, 2011
That is an interesting title isn’t it? Does it leave you curious? Or does it leave you scanning through words in your mind, in a competitive way, trying to guess if you come up with the right one? Either way, I hope I have influenced you to read on. While you likely [.].
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Eric Jacobsen Blog
OCTOBER 24, 2011
Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership. In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.
Tanveer Nasser
OCTOBER 18, 2011
Does vision still play a key role for organizations in today's ever-changing world? That the basis of my conversation with best-selling author and former executive Jesse Lyn Stoner in this episode of my leadership podcast show, "Leadership Biz Cafe". Jesse Lyn Stoner is a business consultant, former executive, and bestselling author. For over 30 years, she has worked with leaders in hundreds of organizations including Honda, Pfizer, Marriott, Edelman Public Relations, Yale University, and SAP.
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
Harvard Business Review
OCTOBER 19, 2011
Having combed through more than a thousand 360-degree performance assessments conducted in recent years, we've found, by a wide margin, that the primary criticism men have about their female colleagues is that the women they work with seem to exhibit low self-confidence. Our gut says that this may partly be a perception issue — we've observed that men sometimes interpret (or misinterpret) an inclination in women to share credit or defer judgment as a lack of confidence.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Your passion to make a difference makes you do too much. Sincerity is a curse when it turns you into a leaf blown around by the latest possibility for positive impact. Unfocused passion frustrates and dilutes you and your potential. Doing less enables more. The fewer things you do the better you can be at [.].
OrgDev Digest brings together the best content for management professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 28, 2011
Image source Emotions are responses to information; believe wrong information and you’ll experience wrong feelings. For example, you think someone neglected their responsibilities causing deliverables to fall through the cracks. Based on that, you feel concerned, frustrated, or even angry. Don’t trust those feelings. Don’t express those feelings. Push those feelings aside.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 15, 2011
Fear of losing keeps you from winning; holding on holds you back. The more you have to lose the more you have to protect. Protecting is backward facing. Some things should be protected. Protect family and reputation but let go of past success. Clinging to success makes you fail. Things to hold to: Cling to [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 3, 2011
One in three leaders has no outstanding strength. If you have one extraordinary strength you are in the 64th percentile of over 200,000 leaders. Competency delivers results. Extraordinary leaders display and leverage at least one extraordinary strength. John Zenger, author and CEO of Zenger|Folkman, spoke with me about strength-based leadership.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 20, 2011
“When relationships are dysfunctional, there are three basic roles people play: persecutor, rescuer, and victim,” Marlen Chism. The lists that follow are adapted from, Stop Workplace Drama. Victims: Constantly complain. Resist solutions. Lack boundaries. Feel they’ve been done wrong. (sometimes you have) Fear conflict. Won’t speak up. Borrow money. Rely on parents, even in adulthood. [.].
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.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 26, 2011
Questions focused on the present are management questions. “What’s the problem?” for example. Leaders, on the other hand, ask questions about the future, “Where do we want to be next year?” Managers ask about execution. Leaders ask about direction. In today’s complex world, leaders manage and managers lead. Determine which moment you’re in. Is this [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 12, 2011
Malcolm Gladwell explains the deepest fear of all is being rejected by our peers – “social risk.” I’m watching the recording of Gladwell’s presentation at the World Business Forum (WBF), “We are hardwired to want the approval of our peers … we want to do what everybody else is doing.” The problem: People pleasing makes [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 11, 2011
“Do your best,” is an excuse for not doing your best. It’s code for, don’t worry if you don’t make it. Stop telling people to do their best; give them a goal, instead. Goals motivate because they define desirable results. “Do your best,” is obscure babble. You don’t know what your “best” is. Goals, however, [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 4, 2011
“A man should never be appointed to a managerial position if his vision focuses on people’s weaknesses rather than on their strengths. The man who always knows what people cannot do, but never sees what they can do, will undermine the spirit of the organization,” Peter Drucker. John Zenger, co-author of the HBR article, Making [.].
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.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 31, 2011
Fear and pain motivate you to stop, run, avoid, or stubbornly dig in. They don’t move you forward, they move you away. Fear and pain may, however, ignite passion to change. Politicians create fear that galvanize constituents around a cause and garners votes. The problem, fear only works for the short-term. It creates a huddling [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 21, 2011
Image source Office politics is not a dirty word; you’ll go further if you can play. Believing good work always speaks for itself is naïve. Sadly, many bosses rise to authority because they understand and play dirty office politics. Even in work cultures where bosses effectively deal with backstabbing, gossip, and office maneuvering, playing politics [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 8, 2011
Image source: Who ever said there are no stupid questions was wrong. Drucker said, “The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong questions.” Your questions establish, limit, and maintain the focus of others. A question: How many passes? (55 sec. video) Wrong questions – wrong direction: Questions control perceptions. Tal Ben-Shahar, author and speaker at the World [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 2, 2011
Life eventually hardens like arteries unless there’s painful intervention. Positive statements affirm us. Negative statements change us. Furthermore, compliments and affirmations validate the past and solidify the present. But, crisis, criticisms and corrections change us. Spencer Johnson correctly observes, “Change happens when the pain of holding on becomes greater than the fear of letting go.” [.].
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
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 1, 2011
Patterns are developing after a year and a half’s worth of conversations with high profile leaders and successful authors. Jay Elliot, former Sr. V.P. at Apple said, “Great people are hard on themselves. My job is to encourage them.” John Spence pulled off the road while on his way to a speaking gig to listen [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 17, 2011
Tattlers, whiners, and backstabbers wear a path to your office filling your ear with spin. They have one goal in mind; make their world better at the expense of others. Console them and they propagate like destructive bunnies. Confront them and they go underground only to focus on you. I’m more direct, so my approach [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 27, 2011
The reason your team isn’t fully engaged is you aren’t fully committed to them. They know, you’re dedicated to them only so long as their performance pleases you. They know organizational interests come first, theirs don’t. They know you’re playing hide-n-seek with opportunities, pay raises, and promotions to manipulate them. Always place the best interests [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 13, 2011
I asked Jack Welch, at the World Business Forum 2011, to talk about tipping points in his life and he said, “I blew up a (GE) factory the first year I was there.” He was in his mid-twenties and figured his career was over. “I was running a little pilot plant. It all exploded, went [.].
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.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 29, 2011
People remain average because they don’t understand exceptional. A friend of mine recently said, “Maybe average is ok. That’s what most people and organizations are so what’s wrong with it?” We were exploring vision, passion, and excellence. I don’t think he was advocating for average; you don’t have to. He was, however, pushing me and [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 22, 2011
Our children finished their Little League Baseball (LL) experience long ago. My LL experience goes back to the mid ’60’s but I still remember. My first at-bat ever, I hit a home run. That solidified my role as clean-up batter. My last at bat I struck out. All these years later, I still remember those [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 5, 2011
Image source We’re all drawn toward skillful competent individuals. Maybe they’ll teach us? Hopefully, they’ll rub off. But competency without frailty is uncomfortable, unapproachable, and unattractive. The things that make competencies beautiful are the frailties that surround them. I was thinking of this during lunch with Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell’s Soup.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 23, 2011
Err on the side of pushing harder not easier. When you wonder if you should challenge or comfort someone, challenge them. Expect more not less. Encourage those who are struggling but don’t exclude challenging them. Reject the temptation to coddle. People rise to challenges. Maxed out: A few on your team are maxed out. Strengthen [.].
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.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 18, 2011
When I interview someone, I listen for what interest me and explore it. While Marlene Chism chatted in my ear, I scribbled her statement, “If you can find an exception, it’s time to change the commitment.” The idea of changing a commitment troubled me. My interviewing style is circular. If a topic interests me, I’ll [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 19, 2011
Dysfunctional leaders play one of three relationship roles, persecutor, rescuer, or victim. “The victim feels helpless, the rescuer has the answer, and the persecutor tells you whose fault it is,” Marlene Chism in, Stop Workplace Drama. Depending on the situation, you could assume any role but you usually identify with one. Leaders frequently assume the [.].
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 10, 2011
Image source “Most organizations have far too little conflict,” Pat Lencioni at the 2011 World Business Forum. Friction between individuals based on personalities, backstabbing, and gossip stifles organizations, hinders productivity, and creates negative work environments. Solve it quickly. On the other hand, teams that can’t fight fair are mediocre.
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 16, 2011
People who can’t say they don’t know can’t be trusted; they’re posturing. They’ll tell you what you want to hear rather than what they really think. Fear drives lies. Fear of losing status, respect, or position motivates truth-shading. Don’t trust those who are always right; that includes excuse makers, blamers, and finger pointers. Don’t trust [.].
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
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