Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 16, 2011
The need to tell others you’re important suggests you don’t feel important. Insecure leaders need to build, protect, and validate themselves. They spend their days like male peacocks fluffing their tail feathers. “Look at me, I’m beautify; I’m important.” Fluffing activities suggest people don’t believe they matter. You must believe you matter: “Everything you will [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 21, 2011
It had been a long day of work and travel, and it was going to get longer. Due to weather issues around the country, flights across the eastern half of the U.S. were delayed and canceled. It was snowing heavily in Denver, where I had just landed to find my connecting flight canceled. I quickly [.].
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Eric Jacobsen Blog
NOVEMBER 6, 2011
Did Abraham Lincoln really say, " Get out of the office and circulate among the troops ," back in 1861? He did. But, not in those exact words. What he said, according to author Donald T. Phillips , is this: "His cardinal mistake is that he isolates himself, and allows nobody to see him; and by which he does not know what is going on in the very matter he is dealing with.
Tanveer Nasser
NOVEMBER 29, 2011
What role does humility play in today's leadership and how does this trait benefit leaders in facing the challenges present in today's global market? That's one of the questions I discuss with CEO Dave Balter in the latest episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”. Dave is the CEO and founder of the word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing company, BzzAgent, which has been featured on CBS News, the BBC, and the New York Times Sunday Magazine.
Speaker: Liz Charron
From evolving legislation to shifting workforce expectations, background screening is undergoing major transformation and HR is in the driver’s seat. With new compliance requirements and growing scrutiny, today’s HR leaders must build programs that are not only audit-ready, but outcome-driven. HR Management and Employee Relations Expert, Liz Charron, will delve into how HR teams can navigate the latest legal changes, connect screening to workforce ROI, and embed these practices into the very fab
Harvard Business Review
NOVEMBER 30, 2011
With Cyber Monday, the tablet wars kicked into full swing. Which one is the best? Is it the iPad? The Kindle? Who has the best technology? The best distribution? Who's the best overall? For most people, "being the best" is what competition is all about. So General Motors CEO Dan Akerson was simply echoing popular sentiment when, on the day the new GM went public, he threw down the gauntlet: "May the best car win!
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
The truth is we tell ourselves lies. Lies seem to make life better, they make us feel more useful and in control. I can always tell when I touch the lies people believe about themselves. They deny the obvious and defend the ridiculous. It reminds me of the time one of our children denied stomping up [.].
OrgDev Digest brings together the best content for management professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 1, 2011
Using position to intimidate or manipulate. Believing talent, experience, or skills compensate for preparation. Choosing the easy way for you rather than the best way for them. Overlooking the destructive behaviors of high performers. Withholding benefits or resources as punishment. Avoiding tough issues. Staying the same. Pretending you know when you don’t.
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Image source I’ve seen frustrated leaders say things like, “That’s the way it’s going to be.” It’s their end game when confused or resistant people push them. It works with two year olds who fear punishment. It works with employees who have a high need to please. Regardless, leadership by decree indicates loss of leadership. Warning [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 17, 2011
Competent people are insulted when you try to help them do their job. They think, “You don’t trust me.” Managers must know when to step in or stay out. Help too quickly and you’re a smothering meddler; delay too long and you don’t care. When it comes to helping others, their confidence levels matter. Overconfident [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 9, 2011
It’s the morning after and it wasn’t what I heard but what I saw that matters most. I’m home from the two-day Elite Leadership Program in New York City. The drive home gave me time to think about what I heard. Believe me, A.G. Lafley, Calvin Klein, and Jack Welch hit home runs. Lafley led [.].
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
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 3, 2011
Confusion is common. Clarity is rare. Confusion and chaos inevitably rule unless someone intervenes. Any fool can create confusing complexity. Successful leaders always fight confusion and find clarity. Clarity is leadership’s secret and most powerful weapon. Clarity allows followers to know where they’re going and how to get there. Without it everyone flounders.
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 5, 2011
Image source You can’t lead if you aren’t dissatisfied. Every new beginning begins with dissatisfaction. If the present is satisfactory, you have nowhere to go. A preferred future stands on an un-preferred present. Dissatisfaction is easy, optimism is necessary. Seeing the light dimly: Things come together at the strangest times. During dinner with the CFO [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Peter Drucker encouraged leaders to ask, “How do we make ourselves useful?” Daniel Pink’s research indicates three drives motivate us. Autonomy: the desire to be self-directed. Mastery: the urge to get better at stuff. Purpose: making a contribution. Combining Drucker and Pink: Leaders are useful when they honor the contribution of others. Honoring contributions: Explain [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 13, 2011
All leaders explore, introduce, and defend new ideas. Defending an idea often creates adversarial conversations. You offer points that support your idea and others evaluate, adopt or reject. You’ve surrendered your power from the beginning. There’s value in the traditional process but there’s a better way. Defend less explore more: Explore how new ideas compare [.].
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
NOVEMBER 15, 2011
“Customers are the boss.” A.G. Lafley. Customers determine what you must do well. You may be the world’s best pickle packer. But, if the world doesn’t value perfectly packed pickles, you are tragically irrelevant. Unexpected: I love coming across an unexpected idea. The first core strength of Proctor & Gamble – A deep understanding of [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 19, 2011
I woke up this morning to a few email questions from individuals seeking my perspective, advice, or suggestions. I usually answer questions with questions and when applicable reflect back what I see. Giving advice falls third on my response to email questions. One questioner explained their aversion to risk along with a lack luster performance [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 7, 2011
We forget the expected and remember the unusual. I’ve been remembering something unusual that was said to me about ten months ago. Jim Parker, former CEO of Southwest Airlines told me, “Don’t set artificial goals for yourself. Don’t set goals about the job you want or the amount of money you want to make.” You [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 18, 2011
With typical candor and color, Jack Welch said, “We always had one hell-of-ah gossip session after every meeting.” (ELP, 2011, NYC) At least two things happened at meetings Jack Welch attended. First, the agenda happened. Second, and more importantly, an H.R. meeting happened during and after. During meetings Jack and his team looked through the [.].
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
NOVEMBER 8, 2011
Bad things will happen. It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. Even optimists knows it’s true. Hi performing leaders, according to Jim Collins are “paranoid performers.” They’re always asking, “What if,” and then preparing for it. They think about and anticipate the day of “bad things.” What ifs: I hate what [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 14, 2011
Unspoken words say more than spoken. I asked A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Proctor and Gamble, a question he only partially answered. He began with “if” statements but never finished. Here’s how it went down. “I’m interested in how leading changed you and what you did to navigate those changes.” A.G. pushed his fingers up [.].
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 6, 2011
Thank you. Thank you for reading Leadership Freak. Last week’s views set another record. You humble me. Thank you for sharing your comments. One reader told me the brevity of Leadership Freak gives them time to read the comments. You teach me. Thank you for sharing Leadership Freak with your colleagues and friends. You encourage [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 7, 2011
It was a typical business trip. I’d spent the day training a group of people from inside an organization. After the training, I was invited to join the group for dinner. After a lovely dinner, a couple of the participants had some additional questions about the training and how to apply what they were learning. [.].
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.
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 9, 2011
I first remember carrying a flashlight at summer camp. Coming back to the cabin after the campfire would have been pretty treacherous without one. Something got me thinking about flashlights recently. As I thought about them, I realized that as leaders we need to have a flashlight available for a variety of reasons. [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 16, 2011
Last night Duke University’s men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 903rd game. It’s the most of any men’s college basketball coach ever (Tennessee’s Pat Summitt has won over 1000 coaching women’s college basketball). He’s been coaching for 37 years. He’s won 13 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, was named National Coach of the Year 12 [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 28, 2011
You may not even be aware of the newest quasi-medical malady facing people around the globe. It hits about the first of December each year and impacts people’s attitudes, energy, and productivity for approximately four weeks. Like any other malady, the first step in treatment is diagnosis. I’m sharing the diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 24, 2011
Since in the United States today we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is appropriate, perhaps even expected, to suggest we be grateful today. Of course, the reality is that gratitude is important to our relationships and to us as well, (as today’s quotation suggests) and deserves a place in our daily thoughts. I’ll move right to it [.].
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.
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 14, 2011
A blood transfusion is a process of receiving blood products into your blood stream intravenously. In the past, whole blood was introduced into the patient’s blood stream. Today, typically, particular blood parts like red blood cells or plasma are injected as needed. In non-technical terms, blood (or blood parts) is injected into someone’s blood stream [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 11, 2011
David Allen is best known for his book Getting Things Done. His book has been, over the last decade, the most popular time and productivity management book and process on earth. The quotation below applies to managing our time, but goes much deeper, if you allow it to. I hope today’s questions and action steps [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
One of the first and most influential inspirational speakers I learned of and learned from was Earl Nightingale. Today I reread one of his profound quotations. “We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we’ve [.].
Kevin Eikenberry
NOVEMBER 22, 2011
and it is in short supply. It’s concentration, and, no, I’m not talking about the popular game show that aired from 1958-91. Concentration isn’t really in short supply; the supply is large, if you choose to capture it (and successful people do). Most however, - text while driving - answer emails while [.].
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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