Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 5, 2013
Outgoing people have advantages in Western Culture. We’re often perceived to be smarter and stronger than quiet people, at least at first. One of my fatal leadership blunders was underestimating quiet people. Big mouths don’t guarantee great leadership. Quiet doesn’t equal: Weak. Push over. Soft. Stupid. Detached. Uncaring. Untalented. Never assume quiet is weak and loud [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
FEBRUARY 11, 2013
Networking. For some that word brings images of hotel meeting rooms, coffee (or a cash bar), and a room of people trying to give you their business card. Others think networking is for sales people and those looking for a job. If your first thought was either of those things, keep reading. [.].
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Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 12, 2013
Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller capture, “The Secret,” of leadership in five letters, SERVE. The beauty of SERVE is inescapable simplicity and actionable clarity. Serve See the future: envision and communicate a compelling picture of a preferred future. What do I want to be true of the future? Why should anyone care? How will progress [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 10, 2013
Maxwell said, “Leaders are learners.” The trouble with learning is unlearning. The trouble with learning is it changes past thinking. Learning amplifies, modifies, or invalidates past learning. The trouble with learning is rethinking. New thoughts evaluate old thoughts. Learning tests old assumptions, strategies, or methods. The trouble with learning is being wrong.
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
FEBRUARY 24, 2013
Image source by Petr Kratochvil Regurgitating and recycling what you already know bores others, antiquates leadership, and destroys organizations. Get out of yourself before you shrivel and die. Growth, innovation, and future-building centers on what you don’t know and haven’t done. Three surprising qualities of growing leaders: #1. Receptivity: Traditional leaders are unwelcoming.
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 3, 2013
I hate failing. Failure feels like wasted life. Yes, I know I’m supposed to embrace failure and learn. But, given the choice, I’d succeed more! I haven’t failed for lack of good intentions. Frankly, I’m troubled that the path down is faster than the path up. Fear of failure: Afraid to fail is afraid to [.].
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Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 16, 2013
Your worst problem is believing you know the problem, when you don’t. The next is solving it. Procter & Gamble set out to design new soap for cleaning floors. It’s a challenge because strong soap cleans dirt but it also strips finishes and irritates skin. After years of failed attempts, P&G came up with the [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 1, 2013
Pressure and coercion don’t work for long. Successful leaders inspire and ignite, they don’t pressure. They were motivated. Now, they work when you’re around and doze when you’re not. What a difference three months makes. Coercion, pressure, or rewards may work momentarily. Performance improves while you’re watching and slows when you’re away.
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 15, 2013
Image source by Petr Kratochvil You enjoy work but hate the paperwork. If paperwork isn’t sapping your joy, it’s the people. Jamie Naughton, Speaker of the House for Zappos, told me she used to think, “Happiness at work was more in your job duties.” We wrongly believe happiness at work is exclusively about what we do. [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
Leave a comment on today’s post and become eligible for one of 20 free copies of, “The Secret of Teams: What Great Teams Know and Do,” by Mark Miller. No obligation. “The more decisions a leader makes, the further he or she is from leading a high-performance team. … Make too many command decisions, [.].
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
FEBRUARY 2, 2013
Image source You cheer for others. Who cheers for you? Some can’t stand it if you’re “too” happy. Most are ok if you’re a little bit happy or a little bit successful, … if you’re average. It’s okay with them if you long for more but whatever you do, don’t actually reach for it. And [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 25, 2013
Image source by George Hodan No one cares like you when you own it. But, the more you own the less they own. No one wants to own what you own too. Individuals take ownership, you can’t give it. When someone gives you something you don’t want, you protest. “No thanks.” If it’s forced on [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 27, 2013
It’s certain that we live in uncertain times. 13 Power Tips for Leading through Uncertainty: Pull with – not against, higher ups. Grab the rope and pull, even if you disagree. Everyone who pulls in their own direction dilutes potential success. If you can’t pull with, jump ship, now. Aim to make a positive difference. [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 6, 2013
“I think there’s so much time and effort wasted on setting forth mission statements and vision statements…” Karen Martin, author of, The Outstanding Organization.” Pointless vision: Compelling vision doesn’t cure sick organizations. Martin said, “Many organizations have these lofty visions and they can’t even deliver product to customers…” Forget about it: Martin said, “I’m a little [.].
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
FEBRUARY 23, 2013
Image source by Vojko Kalan Memo to the new team, 2/23/13: Raise your hand if you love wasting time on: Meaningless drivel. Frustrating stagnation. Superficial relationships. Worthless discussions. Trivial decisions. Mediocre results. Mundane impact. If wasting time excites you, create dysfunctional teams. Members of dysfunctional teams: Dread meetings.
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 17, 2013
Image source by George Hodan Whiners are potential leaders. But, pessimists can’t lead. Leader as whiner: Progress could be faster. Quality could be better. Team mates could give more. Organizations aren’t meeting needs. Structures block rather than energize success. The line between whiner and leader is optimism. Whiners become leaders when they press through problem [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 28, 2013
People look to leaders when things aren’t working. Not working: In less than three years, nearly 300 of Campbell Soup Company’s 350 global leaders had either left on their own or were asked to leave. What kind of CEO leads a blood-bath like that? You might picture a Genghis Khan character with blood dripping from his sword. [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 8, 2013
Some singers only think they can sing. Tell them they can’t and you have a hearing problem. Believing you can when you can’t frustrates others and hinders you. Some leaders only believe they can lead. Deadly weaknesses masquerade as strength. What if you’re not really great at: Delegating. Organizing. Motivating. Encouraging. Negotiating. Public speaking.
Speaker: Miriam Connaughton and Donald Knight
As organizations scale, keeping employees connected, engaged, and productive can seem like a monumental task. But what if AI could help you do all of this and more? AI has the power to help, but the key is implementing it in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, human connection. Join us for an exploration into how industry trailblazers are using AI to transform employee experience at scale while addressing both the potential and the pitfalls.
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 4, 2013
An employee frustrates the heck out of you. Wish you could start over? Your boss drives you crazy. Wouldn’t it be nice to start fresh? What’s stopping you from starting over? You! Start over – 5 ways to address the past: Identify frustrations and name failures. Ignored frustrations always escalate. Accept their weaknesses. Take your blame. What [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 21, 2013
To the new team: Thank you for accepting a seat at the table. I’m writing to you because you’re young and I’m counting on your new team to lift our organization to new heights. Learning to work on a team is a powerful opportunity for you. Seize it with gusto. However… There’s nothing natural about [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 9, 2013
Image source by Peter Griffin #1. Describe wins simply; one word if possible. #2. Move from simplicity to clarity. Explain what you don’t want. Tap your frustrations for guidance. Everyone knows what they don’t want. Move from negatives to positives. “I want to stop losing my temper.” Controlling your temper is stopping something, a “don’t [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 11, 2013
Ineffective leaders give without expecting return. Generosity motivates indulgence when you don’t expect response. One-way relationships between capable people are sick. Someone needs a favor. Generously meet their request, if you can. Adapt the schedule. Assign help. Shift deadlines. Reciprocity: Expect two-way relationships. Call for reciprocity. After pouring into their cup expect them to pour [.].
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
Kevin Eikenberry
FEBRUARY 6, 2013
Last Saturday, I attended the Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry. This is an annual event that brings together over 1500 people who are friends of Agriculture and many, alumni of Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. As former President of the organization, I look forward to this event each year. At this year’s event, I thought [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 26, 2013
Leaders who hurry always neglect people. If leadership is about people why rush like it’s about tasks? But, when rushing is required, never rush alone. Mentor as you go. Enable future replacements. Work yourself out of, not into, jobs. Exponential success requires taking things from your bucket and putting them in theirs. But, prepare people [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 13, 2013
Little Mary just knocked a glass of milk on the floor. That’s what two year old’s do. There’s a group of five leaders at the table. Bob waves the waiter over and says, “Could someone clean this up?” Mindy says, “That happened because the milk was too close to the edge.” Joe says, “Don’t worry, [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 14, 2013
Who’s falling behind? Thriving organizations leave those who don’t grow behind. Change leaves those who don’t change frustrated, wondering what happened. The puzzle changed and they don’t fit. Helping snails keep up: See people first and performance second. Watch your team. Observe: Energy levels. What drags down? Frustration levels. What frustrates?
Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions
Join this brand new webinar with Tim Buteyn to learn how you can master the art of remote onboarding! By the end of this session, you'll understand how to: Craft a Tailored Onboarding Checklist 📝 Develop a comprehensive, customized checklist that ensures every new hire has a smooth transition into your company, no matter where they are in the world.
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 18, 2013
Dripping-faucet-leaders irritate with constant tweaks and suggestions. Your team wants you to shut-up and leave them alone. Additionally, honest leaders build negative environments by constantly fixing and improving. The dark side of pursuing excellence is nitpicking. Perfection-seekers are nitpickers. Nitpicking: Shows attention to detail. Is different from being particular.
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
Image source To the New Team: You may be wondering why you don’t have more direction. It’s intentional. The advantage of new teams is no history. The advantage of being told what to do is safety. Freedom, on the other hand, makes the storming process more turbulent but the result is ownership. You have the [.].
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 19, 2013
Image source by Hana Muchova' Many CEO’s are told what they want to hear, rather than what team members really think. That’s a foolish way to avoid butting heads with the boss. I asked Jamie Naughton, Speaker of the House for Zappos, to talk about a time when she butted heads with her famous CEO, [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
FEBRUARY 27, 2013
Have you ever heard the old quotation, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”? It has a Zen-like quality to it, and inside those few words is the answer to the question posed in the title. The best time to coach is when the student is ready. At that moment of readiness, we are [.].
Speaker: Andrea Wuchiski
In an era where a workforce spans multiple generations, HR managers and Total Rewards leaders face the unique challenge of designing benefits packages that cater to diverse employee needs. This session will delve into how comprehensive fertility benefits can bridge generational gaps, support employees’ health, and enhance workplace satisfaction. Join us for an insightful session that highlights the strategic importance of fertility benefits in today’s competitive job market.
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