Leadership Freak
MARCH 24, 2013
One bad experience outweighs one good. A gallon of bad weighs more than a gallon of good. Setbacks nag; success whispers. You overemphasize what went wrong and minimize what went right. Down is easier than up. Small setbacks increase frustration more than small successes enhance satisfaction. One negative defeats one positive. It’s worse! One negative [.].
Eric Jacobsen Blog
MARCH 26, 2013
Being a good listener is absolutely essential to being an effective leader. When you really listen, you : Remember names and facts correctly. Hear "between the lines." Show respect. Learn more about what's going on within your workplace. Here are 10 tips on how to be a better listener : Look at the person who's speaking to you. Maintain eye contact.
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Kevin Eikenberry
MARCH 15, 2013
You’ve been busy, you’ve been stressed, and you’ve felt pressure. Maybe even today. Today’s quotation tells you what to do when you are next in that situation. I totally love and agree with this quotation from Dr. Joyce Brothers. So let’s get on with some Questions and Action Steps Questions to Ponder - How often [.].
Tanveer Nasser
MARCH 19, 2013
Why is it that some leaders are able to stretch and build the intelligence, creativity and motivation of their employees, while other leaders seem only to disengage and drain the collective talent found within their teams? That's the basis of my conversation with leadership researcher and best-selling author Liz Wiseman. Liz is the president of The Wiseman Group, a research and development firm that conducts research in the field of leadership and collective intelligence.
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
MARCH 25, 2013
The editors managing the Visualizing Data Insight Center have asked us to submit visualizations that we find compelling or effective. Mine won't win any design awards, but I was so struck by it that I passed it along. A Quartz article on the IPO of hipster journal company Moleskine included this chart that comes from the company's prospectus. Now, if I had read a paragraph of text Moleskine marketers had written that said, "Moleskine is not a stationery company — in fact it's the opposite
Leadership Freak
MARCH 16, 2013
Self-inflicted frustrations when leaders don’t adapt to new circumstances. Leaders want to change circumstances rather than changing themselves. Seizing opportunities requires shifts in thinking, attitude, behavior, and responsibility. The greater the opportunity the greater the necessary shift. Persistent hard work exacerbates frustration until shifts occur.
OrgDev Digest brings together the best content for management professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Leadership Freak
MARCH 18, 2013
Drag others down and you’ll go down with them. The magnitude of your impact is determined by your ability to ignite passion in others. You make a difference by inspiring others to make a difference. Those you inspire pull you forward. They don’t require pushing. Five qualities of inspirational leaders: Jeremy Kingsley, author of, “Inspired People [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 14, 2013
I did leadership all wrong for years. I held leadership positions without understanding effective leadership practices. My early education was in theology. Tragically, I had no training in leadership. My leadership journey includes powerful, sometimes painful, shifts in attitudes and practice. The first shift: Leaders hold spotlights rather than stand in them.
Leadership Freak
MARCH 25, 2013
“Do more with less,” demotivates employees. It’s code for work harder. If they’re already working hard, they think, “The more I give the more they want. I’m giving less.” “Do more with less,” disengages and demotivates those giving most. Those hurt most by, “Do more with less,” are the ones doing most. Alternatives to, “Do [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 8, 2013
Image source by Petr Kratochvil I called a person to confront an awkward leadership blunder. Mistakes aren’t the issue; what you do with them is. 8 wrong approaches to mistakes that matter: Mad Monkey approach: Jumping around making loud noises and pointing fingers. Chicken approach: Brooding. Let’s sit on these eggs until something ugly hatches.
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
MARCH 21, 2013
Leaders often rise to leadership because they are great talkers. Now it’s in the way. You can’t connect, communicate or influence without listening. Bad bosses talk. Successful leaders listen. Stop talking about listening. Ouch: I still remember the day I asked my wife if I was a good listener. Boy! That was a kick in [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 4, 2013
Great leadership is more about others and less about you. Stop focusing on yourself. Great leaders are great because they: Have emotional intelligence. Reveal greatness in others. Know where they’re going and why. Engage. Don’t really think they are great. Read the whole “great leaders” list on Facebook. Two great leaders: Warren Buffet (4th richest [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 26, 2013
Emotional turmoil makes simple tasks complicated, easy tasks hard, and quick tasks slow. High emotion, boiling frustration, and hurt feelings inspire blame. Blame invites defensiveness. Defensiveness causes us to pile on other, perhaps unrelated, problems to prove our point. Never introduce emotional issues unless you’re prepared to deal with emotion.
Leadership Freak
MARCH 2, 2013
There’s a long line of individuals who tell you how to lead. Nearly all do the same thing. They tell you how they would do it. But, they aren’t you. Arrogant advisers believe they are gods molding people into their image, whether they admit it or not. Many have given me advice, over the years. Nearly all told me [.].
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
MARCH 27, 2013
This post began as an email. It’s my response to a person who shared their mixed feelings regarding unexpected success and opportunity. I’ve been thinking about our conversation regarding the problem of success and opportunity. Those who succeed in unexpected ways know that success is harder than failure. We are excited with opportunities but [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 9, 2013
When Vicki Stanford, Director of the Speakers Bureau for The Ken Blanchard Companies, invited me to send a video for one of their webcasts, I sent this video on Un-Leaderlike Moments. It’s how I’m solving the problem of too much passion. (2 min. 47 sec.) : How have you seen passion get in the way? This is [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 20, 2013
Opportunity is ugly. Opportunity is a door that feels like a wall, an open window that feels shut, or a ceiling that feels too low. Mud disguises, pain exposes, and fear illuminates opportunity. Distinguish your leadership: Great leaders face great challenges and solve great problems. Clear the mud. Solve the pain. Face the fear. Rise [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 29, 2013
The issue isn’t what you want. All leaders want the same thing, results. You can’t lead until you define desired results. Results drive everything leaders do. In the tension between getting results and building relationships, results take priority. Results are the goal. Relationships are the method. Once you determine results, focus on relationships.
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
MARCH 5, 2013
Leave a comment on today’s post to become eligible for one of ten copies of, “The Culture Secret,” by Dr. David Vik. Winners selected on 3/11/13. Lazy leaders blame. Arrogant leaders push down. Fearful leaders push away. Facebook contributors said, “The worst leaders :” Talk too much and think too little. Believe collaboration [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 3, 2013
Lack of focus wastes energy, squanders resources, and defeats hope. Focus, on the other hand, eliminates the superfluous in order to grasp the essential. Success requires focus. Ask Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, to describe his focus and he’ll say two words, “Company culture.” Dr. David Vik (Doc), author of, “The Culture Secret,” helped build [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 10, 2013
Unable to choose is unable to move. Choices enable movement. Unable to choose is another way of saying stuck. Successful leaders make decisions. Everyone who’s stuck lives with choices waiting to be made. Fear of choosing is fear of losing opportunity. Fear of missing out is the reason you miss out. The critical first choice: [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 30, 2013
I’m sick of organizations that don’t measure what matters. Production targets flash on computer screens. Today’s production target: 1,500 widgets. Current: 837 widgets. The message: people are tools. Measurement reflects value. Morale doesn’t matter when you don’t measure morale building behaviors. Where is the morale meter? What isn’t measured doesn’t matter, even if you say [.].
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
MARCH 28, 2013
Make the future or it makes you. Stop reacting; start creating. Urgency dominates where plans lack. Yesterday’s future arrived today. Successful leaders plan. Planners make the future. Planners live like tomorrow is today. If you knew financial decline was in your future would you save money today? “Planning is about preparing for the future, not [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 19, 2013
Image of one of our grandsons. The more powerful you are the more serious your expression. I call it the Rule of the Serious Face. Powerful people don’t smile. Some organizations coach top leaders not to smile. It’s true! The “un” of powerful leaders: Unconnected. Unavailable. Unhelpful. Unfeeling. Unhappy. (Or at least, unsmiling.) The higher [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 17, 2013
It’s “Sprinter” in Central Pennsylvania. Spring isn’t here. Winter hangs on. One day it’s sunny and warm. Yesterday it snowed! Change comes slowly. Winter won’t let Spring arrive. It’s the time of uncertainty and reluctance. Change: Unwilling to change is arrogant resistance, fearful reluctance, or ignorant blindness.
Leadership Freak
MARCH 7, 2013
Image source by Adryana Nicoleta Life goes down the drain while you wait. Airports, repair shops, grocery lines, and doctor’s offices ruthlessly steal time. Time is life. Wasted time is wasted life. Waiting: Escalates anger. Strains relationships. Increases stress. Reduces productivity. Planning and preparation transform frustrating wait-time to satisfying productivity.
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
MARCH 31, 2013
I browbeat people when I “know” the path forward. I tell them what I want, before thinking about what they need to hear. Additionally, I pressure people when I’ve made up my mind. At least that’s what others tell me. Honestly, I don’t see Browbeating Dan. I see myself as Pussy Cat Dan. Burden of [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 6, 2013
Image source Leave a comment on yesterday’s post to become eligible for one of ten copies of, “The Culture Secret,” by Dr. David Vik. Winners selected on 3/11/13. My worst experience with HR is a broken confidence. She smiled and listened and within an hour violated my trust. Human Resource personnel are among the [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 23, 2013
You want the people around you to feel up not down, hopeful not discouraged. All successful leaders energize others. But, what if you aren’t the energizing type? Peter Senge said, “Your primary influence is the environment you create.” Leaders often neglect environments in favor of getting work done. Tending personal environments: Personal space has energy. [.].
Leadership Freak
MARCH 11, 2013
Image source by George Hodan Pretending you have it together indicates you don’t. Pretending perpetuates problems, propagates failures, and strengthens stress. Worse yet, … Leaders who pretend lose themselves, bit by bit. Bill George writes, “One Stanford professor has discovered that the number one fear of top leaders is “being found out.” (The foreword of, [.].
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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