Art Petty of About Money Management and Leadership provided Reinventing the Organization and Leadership for a Digital Era. Art writes, “The emerging digital and technology-driven world demands that we rethink everything about how we manage, lead, structure and run our organizations. It also challenges us to rethink our own approach to leveling up in our career. In this article, I explore 7 key characteristics of organizations that will survive and thrive in this era.” Discover Art on Twitter at @artpetty.
Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited provided Com-MIT to Your Most Important Thing. Beth recaps, “Feeling overwhelmed? While you may feel like you have many important things to do, there should be one or two that stand out. Focus on those.” Find Beth on Twitter at @bethbeutler.
Chris Edmonds of the Purposeful Culture Group contributed Do What Great Bosses Do . Chris summarizes: “Great bosses inspire growth, ensure accountability, spur teamwork and more. What more does a great boss do?” Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.
Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership provided How to Manage Yourself so Your Boss Won’t Have To. Dan recaps, “Here’s a simple model that can be used to teach leaders how to “let go” and empower their employees to make their own decisions.” Locate Dan on Twitter at @greatleadership.
David Grossman of The Grossman Group shared The Secret Respectfully Authentic Leaders Know. This post explores how respectful authenticity is about this constant process of being truthful – first with yourself and then with others. To say the things that need to be said. And to do it in a kind and respectful way. Being authentic isn’t about saying whatever you think or feel. Discover David on Twitter at @thoughtpartner.
Jill Malleck of Epiphany at Work contributed How do you change when your leader changes?. Jill shares, “Many people find themselves – or put themselves – in a precarious position when their familiar leader leaves the company. Here are some tips to ensure you don’t get distracted from the importance of realigning with the new boss.” Find Jill on Twitter at @epiphanyatwork.
Jennifer Molina of the Institute for Corporate Productivity, Inc. (i4cp) provided Nearly 70%of Executive Teams Use Workforce Analytics. Jennifer shares, “Nearly 70% of executive teams use workforce analytics to make strategic business decisions. The Institute for Corporate Productivity and ROI Institute have released the results of a new research study, which looks at positive trends and the state of human capital analytics. The study features case studies on Google, LinkedIn, HSBC, and Intel.” Tweet i4cp at @i4cp.
Jesse Lyn Stoner of the Seapoint Center shared The 4 Decision Styles: When to Involve Others in Decisions. Jesse Lyn recaps, “Leaders are called to make countless decisions each day and must determine which to make on their own and when to involve others. Most people are guided by personal preference. Some are naturally decisive and others prefer dialogue. You actually have 4 choices, and being intentional about when to make decisions on your own and when to involve others can save you a lot of time and headaches.” Follow Jesse Lyn on Twitter at @JesseLynStoner.
Jim Taggart of Changing Winds contributed Effective Leaders Execute. Jim summarizes: “This is a story about a rural-born and raised country girl who though hard work and adversity rose to become one of Canada’s most respected CEOs. Her ability to connect with people yet also focus on achieving results sets her apart from many other corporate leaders. Meet Annette Verschueren.” Find Jim on Twitter at @72keys.
Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog submitted 4 Ways to Develop Effective Working Relationships. Joel recaps: “Paul just got a new job in which he is overseeing a staff of twenty people. The culture of his new company encourages building of relationships, connecting and caring. Here are 4 ways that Paul can begin to immediately learn how to develop and build working relationships.” Discover Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.
John Hunter shared Support Theatre. John summarizes, “Support theatre provides the appearance of supporting customers when in fact it is just treating customers poorly based on a management system that disrespects customers. It is a similar idea to security theatre. Find John on Twitter at @curiouscat_com.
Jon Mertz of Thin Difference contributed Career Chapters: The Next One. Jon shares, “No storyline is straight and narrow. Jon Mertz shares the chapters of his career story and why it’s important to exhibit patience and let a story develop.” Follow Jon on Twitter at @thindifference.
Julie Baron of The Thought Board shared CEO’s Share Best Advice Received. Julie writes, ” It’s not uncommon for leaders to say they made it to the top with the help of some great advice along the way. So we asked some of our friends with CEO titles, “What’s the best advice you have ever received?” Learn from leaders in marketing, HR technology, structural engineering, corporate catering, innovation consulting, entrepreneurial education, benefits administration, and construction.” Discover The Thought Board on Twitter at @commwrks.
Julie Winkle-Giulioni of Julie Winkle-Giulioni submitted Leadership Advice…for the Ages (ALL Ages). Julie summarizes, “Despite the popular media’s focus on differences among the generations, recent research suggests that when it comes to workplace priorities and beliefs, we share far more similarities than differences. And this is good news for leaders who understand and can appeal to what all employees have in common.” Find Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.
Lisa Kohn of Chatsworth Consulting Group submitted Why a Pink Flamingo is an Essential Leadership Tool. Lisa summarizes, “There are many essential leadership skills, and bringing a sense of lightness to the teams and organizations (and families) we lead is certainly one of them.” Find Lisa on Twitter at @thoughtfulldrs.
Marcella Bremer of Leadership and Change Magazine shared Christian Felber and the Economy for the Common Good. Marcella describes the post: “What is the role of a company in the universe? It is to serve the common good, says Christian Feller. His scorecard checks whether products are meaningful, sold ethically, produced in a sustainable way, and so on. How are you contributing to the common good? And your organization?” Locate Marcella on Twitter at @marcellabremer.
Miki Saxon of MAPping Company Success contributed Ducks in a Row: Millennials (and Everybody) Need Quiet. Miki writes, “Talent attraction and retention are critical to success. New research shows that it’s not necessarily fancy perks, a la Google, that attracts and keeps great talent, but something that costs far less and can be more creatively supplied.” Discover Miki on Twitter at @optionsanity.
Neal Burgis of Burgis Successful Solutions submitted Leaders Allowing Employees to Break Rules for Creativity. Neal recaps, “Leaders of creative and innovative businesses and organizations always have rules put in place. They know that employees will over-step these rules in order to generate great ideas, create and produce them for breakthrough results. By doing so, leaders have some control of their employees and the work they do.” Find Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.
Paula Kiger of Perspicacity submitted 3 Work Lessons from Early Intervention. Paula shares, “Have you ever had to raise an issue with someone who reports to you? Although there is no way to eliminate the anxiety, which is part of the process anytime feedback is given, one key is to have clear lines of communication all of the time, not just at feedback time.” Discover Paula on Twitter at @biggreenpen.
Randy Conley of Leading With Trust shared 3 Ways To Be Everyone’s Favorite Manager. Randy writes, “Management is a tough gig and at times it can seem like you’re always playing the role of the bad guy. It doesn’t have to be that way, says Randy Conley, and in this article he shares three practical ways you can become everyone’s favorite manager.” Find Randy on Twitter at @randyconley.
Susan Mazza of Random Acts of Leadership provided 3 Things Leaders Need to Know About Forgiveness. Susan explains, “Trust is a leader’s currency, and the willingness to forgive and the courage to responsibly ask for forgiveness sets the value of that currency. Said another way, without forgiveness trust is fragile.” Follow Susan on Twitter at @susanmazza.
Tom Magness of Leader Business contributed Break Out the Books…and Sharpen the Pencils! Tom summarizes, “This post highlights the importance of leaders in two critical skills – reading and writing. Using inspiration from the CEO of the US Navy in his charge to his “troops” to raise the bar in these two areas, we look at the importance for doing both as professionals and as those committed to continuous learning. As the blog reveals…this is ‘Leader Business’.” Follow Tom on Twitter at @leaderbusiness.
Willy Steiner of Executive Coaching Concepts shared Authenticity in the Workplace: Why I’ve Gotta be Me. Willy writes, “There is a lot of discussion about staying true to your “authentic self”. This post examines how that may not always be the very best strategy and that a better option is for a mix of sincerity and empathy.” Follow Willy on Twitter at @coachforexecs.
Anne Perschel of Germane Consulting submitted How to Manage Your Ego – Leaders Guide. Anne shares, “Trouble happens when your ego takes control and causes you to run amuck. To make sure your wise self is driving the bus, follow the Leaders Guide.” Locate Anne on Twitter at @bizshrink.
Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed Risk-Taking Advice from America’s Greatest Mountaineer. Bill recaps, “Ed Viesturs has summited Mount Everest seven times, helped with the ill-fated Everest expedition in 1996, and climbed all 14 of the world’s 8000 meter summits. He certainly knows a few things about taking risks – and you don’t have to be a mountain climber to benefit from his advice.” Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.
Bruce Harpham of Project Management Hacks submitted How To Develop Your Business Acumen. Bruce summarizes, “To lead, we need to know our environment and translate that information into insights. This article shares a three step process to build up your business acumen.” Discover Bruce on Twitter at @PMPhacks.
Chery Gegelman of Giana Consulting shared Maximize Your Purpose with an Altered Path. Chery writes, “Faced with or in the midst of something you didn’t plan? Peace for your heart, mind and soul: Catalysts for maximizing your purpose are often disguised as distractions and delays.” Chery is on Twitter at @gianaconsulting.
Chris Edmonds of the Purposeful Culture Group contributed Change is Hard. Chris describes the post as: “a personal example and a client example of how change is, well, hard. It’s not fun – at least at the start. It’s work – but it’s worth it.” Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.
David Dye of Trailblaze, Inc., shared How to Lead a Team – Look Here. David asks, “Do you have employees or colleagues that irritate you? (Hint: We all do.) Here’s a specific strategy you can use to build productive teams – even with those people.” Discover David on Twitter at @davidmdye.
Jesse Lyn Stoner of the Seapoint Center provided Are You Unconsciously Perpetuating an Outdated View of Leadership?. Jesse summarized: “When I noticed that over 90% of popular leadership quotes are by men, I did an experiment. I created a new list with 85% quotes by women. Guess what, the list is very popular AND no one noticed the skew. Does any of this matter? I think it does, and here’s why.” Follow Jesse on Twitter at @JesseLynStoner.
Jill Malleck of Ephipany at Work contributed In Praise of Powerful Admin Assistants. Jill shared, “Many leaders are overwhelmed because they don’t have an assistant, or if they do, they aren’t partnering well with them. Here are some tips to make this role pivotal to your organization’s success.” Connect with Jill on Twitter at @epiphanyatwork.
Jim Taggart of Changing Winds submitted Should Executives be Allowed to Telecommute. Jim says, “The traditional organizational pyramid has been around a long time. An increasingly outdated concept in a global economy, the Pyramid is accompanied by the physical presence of employees within organizational silos. Managers want their staff within arms-reach. Enter the teleworking concept with its supporters and detractors, each making their separate cases. But what about executives being able to telecommute?” Find Jim on Twitter at @72keys.
Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog submitted Are You Afraid to Speak Up at Meetings When You Have Good Ideas? Joel recaps: “Casey has become The Reluctant Leader. She feels she is not being noticed for all her hard work and accomplishments. Yet she doesn’t feel comfortable bragging, talking about how great she is, or publicly calling attention to all her accomplishments. Here are three ideas to help just start the raising of her profile.” Discover Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.
Lisa Kohn of The Thoughtful LeadersTM Blog provided Don’t Buy Into the Drama. In this piece, Lisa shares shares: “as leaders we can remember to do our best to calm the worry and ease the anxiety, so that we have the energy to handle the real issues and challenges when they actually arise.” Follow Lisa on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs.
Mary Ila Ward of Horizon Point Consulting submitted 3 Steps to Winning a Best Place to Work Award. Mary Ila writes, “At the end of the day, an organization wins a best place to work award because employees feel valued. This post gives you a framework for building a company culture where employees love what they do and find value in doing it.” Discover Mary Ila on Twitter at @maryilaward.
Mary Jo Asmus of Aspire Collaboative Services, LLC contributed What Happens When You Have a Real Conversation. Mary Jo says, “There is a lot of action going on in our organizations, but not a lot of real conversation. Here are some reasons to slow down and have dialogs in service to more effective action with rich learning and deep connection.” Find Mary Jo on Twitter at @mjasmus.
Miki Saxon of RampUp Solutions, Inc., contributed Ducks in a Row: Culture Made Easy. Miki continues, “Culture is recognized as a determining factor in success. In the interest of the ‘keep it simple’ approach, here is the basic premise and associated action needed to build a great culture.” Discover Miki on Twitter at @OptionSanity.
Neal Burgis of Burgis Successful Solutions shared Leaders Shifting Gears to Hire Introverts. Neal summarizes, “Leaders overlook introverts for various positions. Introverts, also known as Ambiverts are those who have a lot more of the strengths, skills and talent to generate and create ideas for problem-solving. They also interact longer in team interactions longer than the average introvert. Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.
Randy Conley of Leading With Trust provided Are You a Boss or a Leader? 7 Ways to Tell. Randy shares, “Anyone can be a boss, but it takes special attention and focus to be a leader. In this post Randy Conley shares seven key differences that make someone a leader rather than just a boss.” Follow Randy on Twitter at @randyconley.
Susan Mazza of Random Acts Of Leadership submitted 7 Steps to Break the Cycle of Inaction. Susan asks, “Have you ever had a really great idea – something you knew you should do – and yet somehow you did not act on it? Unfortunately, when you get caught in the cycle of inaction, the tendency is to remain at rest. Here are 7 steps to break through that cycle and put the law of motion to work in your favor.” Find Susan on Twitter at @susanmazza.
Tanveer Naseer of Tanveer Nasser Leadership Coach contributed Understanding the Power of Our Words. Tanveer summarizes, “Learn how the words we use to communicate our message to those we lead can either inspire others to believe in their potential … or take the wind out of their sails in bringing their best to the table.” Locate Tanveer on Twitter at @tanveernaseer.
Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership shared 5 Praise Pitfalls. Wally writes, “Praise is a powerful tool for any boss. But, like any tool, it can be misused.” Follow Wally on Twitter at @wallybock.
William G. Steiner of Executive Coaching Concepts provided Great Business Stories. Willy says this post is “a look at how to ‘craft’ a great story from your own experiences for the purpose of influencing others in business. This post includes 4 key steps to constructing great business stories, as well as well some specific storytelling tips to make your stories more impactful and memorable.” Find Willy on Twitter at @coachforexecs.
It being October, Becky used a sports analogy, saying the posts are home runs, which they are
However, October means Halloween to me, which is also fitting, considering the number of treats offered and nary a trick to be found.
So without further ado, read, learn and enjoy.
Anne Perschel of Germane Consulting submitted Lead with a Smile and Discover What Happens. Anne shares, “Ed, an Engineering Director, has a habit of mind that immediately sees what could go wrong in any given situation. There’s always something, and often lots of somethings, that could go wrong. But one day, Ed saw the lighter side of a situation, and…read what happened.” Locate Anne on Twitter at @bizshrink.
Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed Opening the Thought-Shifting Door. Bill writes, ” Leaders need to know how to shift people’s thinking. Real opportunities can be found in convincing people to become imaginative by freeing them from narrow, negative, or habitual thinking. You may be surprised to hear that encouraging thought-shifting is not as difficult or complicated as it may seem.” Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.
Bruce Harpham of Project Management Hacks submitted How To Lead Virtual Teams. Bruce summarizes, “How do you lead a team that is distributed across the country or across the world? In this article, I share best practices for leaders leading a virtual team including recommended tools.” Discover Bruce on Twitter at @PMPhacks.
Chris Edmonds of the Purposeful Culture Group contributed Where the Human Spirit Goes to Die. Chris describes the post: “Our workplaces – around the globe – are not inspiring, engaging, productive environments for us to work in. Chris sheds light on a study that shows what people need – and how to create it.” Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.
Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership submitted 10 Ways to Keep Cool and Composed. Dan writes, “When a leader lets their emotions get the better of them they can quickly develop a reputation as volatile, moody, defensive, or having a lack of leadership presence. Unfortunately, all it takes is one public outburst. What can a leader do to keep cool under pressure?” Find Dan on Twitter at @GreatLeadership.
Jesse Lyn Stoner of the Seapoint Center provided Are Your Employees Turning You Into a Helicopter Manager?. Jesse summarized: “What happens when Millennials who are used to ‘helicopter parents’ enter the workforce? You may be turning into a helicopter boss without realizing it. Here’s why, what they really need, and what you can do as a manager.” Follow Jesse on Twitter at @JesseLynStoner.
Jill Malleck of Epiphany at Work contributed Four Ways to Be an Active Leader. Jill shares, “busy leaders can find themselves only responding to this and that. True leadership means shaking it up and making new moves. Here’s 4 easy ways to do that.” Find Jill on Twitter at @epiphanyatwork.
Jim Taggart of Changing Winds submitted Black Swans: The Achilles Heel of Leadership. Jim says, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world were predictable–or at least somewhat predictable? It would certainly make the job of top organizational leaders and politicians in power that much easier. But that’s not how it is; it never has been in fact.” Find Jim on Twitter at @72keys.
Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog submitted Is it a Myth? Can you Actually Achieve Work-Life Balance? Joel recaps: “Balancing work and a personal life is becoming an increasingly common problem in today’s hyper-competitive world. Here are ten strategies for creating and maintaining work-life balance.” Discover Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.
John Hunter of the Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog provided What to Do To Create a Continual Improvement Culture. John explains, “Leaders must create systems that encourage others to succeed and make the organization more effective. When leaders allow themselves to be removed from what is really going on in the organization they damage the organization. In order to build an organization that inspires people to be creative and engaged a leader needs to build a management system that makes that a reality.” Follow John on Twitter at @curiouscat_com.
Jon Mertz of Thin Difference sent The Diverse Tales of Kickstarter and Volkswagen. Jon sumarizes: “Trust is not an intangible. It’s concrete in what it can do and what it can destroy when misused. What leadership lessons can we learn from these two tales of trust playing out in mainstream media?” Discover Jon on Twitter @ThinDifference.
Mary Jo Asmus of Aspire Collaborative Services, LLC, contributed Meeting them where they are. This post explains: Whatever someone has done that annoys you isn’t relevant in the present moment, and it doesn’t help to judge others by their past behaviors. The secret to better work relationships is to meet others where they are. Find Mary Jo on Twitter at @mjasmus.
Miki Saxon of RampUp Solutions, Inc, contributed Ducks in a Row: The What and How of Culture. Miki continues, “Everybody recognizes that changing culture in a large enterprise is difficult.But why is it that the most critical action required in changing culture is rarely, if ever, mentioned?” Discover Miki on Twitter at @OptionSanity.
Neal Burgis, Ph.D. of Burgis Successful Solutions submitted Believe You are Creative? Neal summarizes: “To be a leader in a creative and innovative organization, you must learn to be creative. Here are some basics to help get you started.” Find Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.
Randy Conley of Leading With Trust submitted Your First Five Steps When Leading a New Team. Randy shares: “You only get one chance to make a first impression when taking on a new leadership role, so it’s critically important you start on the right foot. This post provides helpful advice that will get you started on the path to success.” Follow Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.
Susan Mazza of Random Acts Of Leadership submitted The Alternative to Fixing Poor Performance. Susan explains: “Fixing people is exhausting, because you never will be done. But there’s an alternative: leading people to own their results and holding them accountable for being their best.” Find Susan on Twitter at @susanmazza.
Tanveer Naseer of Tanveer Naseer shared Learning To Focus On What Matters Most. He says this post is, “a look at what leaders need to focus on in order to succeed at motivating their employees in bringing their very best to the work they do.” Follow Tanveer on Twitter at @tanveernaseer.
After spending six hours on the phone with tech support and doing everything else in the other four I realized I had no energy to write something intelligent, let alone engaging.
Which is OK, because I have 20 intelligent, engaging posts to share, whether you agree with them or not.
There are times when we all need advice, encouragement and/or validation. We look for better ways to do things and new approaches to old problems.
The advantages of a blog carnival is that it provides, in one handy place, a curated list of links to some of the best bloggers in cyberspace offering creative, useable approaches in leadership, management, culture and “other practical Insights.”
It’s provided in its entirety below for current situations and to bookmark as a reference for future needs.
Need a little tongue-in-cheek advice? In “7 Habits of Highly Inept Leaders,” Karin Hurt of the Lead Change Group provides basic yet insightful tips about things NOT to do as a leader, thus encouraging leaders to behave differently in order to most effectively lead their teams.
Dana Theus shared this helpful reminder on the InPower Blog: the job you want may not need what you do best right now. The higher you go in leadership, the more this is true. To learn more about how to develop the skills you will need in your next leadership role, check out “Sidestepping the Peter Principle for Career Success.”
Do you understand the two faces of leadership? Jesse Lyn Stone of the Jesse Lyn Stoner Blog explains that one face of leadership looks forward to the future, while the other face looks back at your followers. Learn more about this important leadership approach in “The Two Faces of Leadership.”
Neal Burgis, Ph.D. wrote about another leadership approach on the Practical Solutions blog. Neal writes, “Creativity is often described as the catalyst to innovation, and creativity does not need to be left up to chance.” Learn more about cultivating this mindset in “Creative Innovation as a Leadership Mindset.”
Our featured bloggers also submitted great advice on developing essential character strengths and qualities.
Mary Jo Asmus reminds us that a willingness to open up and be vulnerable can create deeper work relationships in her post “The V Word” on the Mary Jo Asmus blog.
As leaders, we can be hard on people, but when we’re quick to judge, we need to take a step back and think about the second chances we were given. Read more on this topic in “Be Grateful for Second Chances,” submitted by Jon Mertz of the Thin Difference blog.
In “The Power of a Kind Leader,” Jeff Harmon shares that giving attention creates an engaged state in the brains of team members and employees that can result in an increase in creativity, more collaboration and greater accuracy. Check out Jeff’s blog on the Brilliance Within website.
Need advice on a management issue? These experts may just offer the answers you need.
Well-orchestrated talent management practices can make the difference for your organization and position it to thrive, grow and weather change on the strength of its current and future leaders to face the challenges of doing business in 2015 head-on. Evan Sinar, Ph.D., DDI Chief Scientist and Director, Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research (CABER), shares Strong Bench Readiness May be Rare, but It’s Not an Accident on DDI’s Talent Management intelligence blog.
Employee engagement is always an important management issue. Engagement begets more engagement…so how do you get the cycle started? Julie Winkle Giulioni shares advice in “The Engagement Ring.” Read more of her advice at www.juliewinklegiulioni.com.
Adam Harkness of The Productivity Blog shares this post on implementing analytics for HR, “Talking Predictive Analytics with a VP of Talent Management.” Similar to predicting the weather, attempting to predict performance is as much a science as it is an art; the field has evolved over the years and companies are now leveraging predictive analytics in the HR space to better understand their workforces.
Company Culture
From explaining the company vision to making culture “sticky,” company culture is something all leaders should be intentional about.
Chris Edmonds of Driving Results Through Culture shares “Is Your Culture ‘Sticky’?” – a post/cast that provides steps to follow to ensure that a high performing, values-aligned culture remains and thrives after the culture champion moves on.
Other Practical Insights
Not sure how to navigate your upcoming office holiday celebration? Or struggling with the balance between empathy and enforcing performance expectations? Look no further than these helpful posts.
Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership writes that planning can help you succeed, but only if you review and modify your plan. Read more on approaching planning with the right mindset in “Plan, Review, Adjust, Repeat.”
Our world is rapidly changing as a result of globalization, technology and the steady emergence of economically hungry developing countries, further amplifying the need for strong leadership at both the political and corporate levels. Learn more about “Leading in a Time of Rapidly Shifting Tectonic Plates” with this post from Jim Taggart on his blog, ChangingWinds.
And finally, I recently wrote about a helpful tool for addressing leadership gaps in your organization. Learn more about “Closing the Leadership Gap” here on my blog.
On another front, it’s Leadership Development Carnival time and the offerings are excellent. Click on over and I’m sure you’ll find information that will be of active use both at work and in your non-work life.
“…leading yourself is the most important leadership job you will ever have, because if you can’t lead yourself you will never have the opportunity to lead others.”
There is much to learn and many ways to learn it. One of the best samplers I know it the monthly Leadership Development Carnival.
This month it’s hosted by Shawn Murphy and his team over at Switch and Shift; the theme is Motivational and Inspiring Leadership. You can find it right here.; dig in.
Seven years and more than 3000 posts ago I started this blog and in that time I only occasionally missed a day. When I couldn’t post ahead of time I found a way to write from wherever I was, but the time has come for a vacation.
But rather leave you high and dry with nothing to read, especially with time off this week, I offer up the July Leadership Development Carnival to keep you entertained and provide learning opportunities. I’m taking the rest of this week off and will return Monday, July 8th.
I wish you a wonderful Fourth of July!
Dan McCarthy from Great Leadership presents How to Overcome the 3 Organizational Barriers to Leadership Development. “Why is it that more organizations and executives don’t fully embrace the effective development of their leaders? It all comes down to 3 barriers: They either don’t understand why it’s important, how to do it, or they just won’t. This post reviews each barrier and provides tips for overcoming them.”
Dana Theus from InPower Women presents Activating the Hidden Face of Workforce Diversity. “Building a diverse workforce isn’t so hard given the growing numbers of minorities in the U.S. population, but grooming them into leadership is another matter entirely.”
Julie Winkle Giulioni from juliewinklegiulioni.com presents Team, Group or Train Wreck?“Despite the ubiquitous use of the term, not all groups are teams. Teams share some essential qualities that distinguish them from other collections of individuals…. and that are explored in this article.”
S. Chris Edmonds from Driving Results Through Culture presents The Leader’s Primary Job: Engaged Employees. “The benefits of engaged employees are impressive and undeniable. This post looks at Gallup’s 2013 ‘State of the American Workplace’ data as well as global data on employee engagement. Edmonds places responsibility for boosting employee engagement squarely on the shoulders or organizational leaders.”
Lolly Daskal from lollydaskal.com presents Failure: The Competitive Advantage. “Some of us may look at failure as us not being successful, life has taught us that Struggle, failure, pain, adversity—they are all our teachers. Failure gives us the competitive advantage, it opens the door unto everything we need to know.”
Randy Conley from Leading With Trust presents Are You a Thermometer or Thermostat Leader?“Randy Conley uses the metaphor of comparing thermometers and thermostats to examine how leaders can either be reactive to the dynamics occurring in their teams or proactively create the right environment for their teams to succeed.”
Jesse Lyn Stoner from Jesse Lyn Stoner presents Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart. “Jesse Lyn Stoner is hosting ‘The Value of Vision’ series for the next month. She has invited several leadership experts and thought-leaders to join her in exploring the role of vision in today’s complex, fast-paced world. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of the groundbreaking bestseller ‘The Leadership Challenge’ kick off the series using their most recent research. The series will run for a month and will include 10 industry experts and thought-leaders such as Ken Blanchard, Whitney Johnson, and Doug Conant.”
Michael Folkmanfrom Four Groups’ Blog presents Rethinking the War for Talent. “Despite advances in technology, selection methods and years of cumulative experience; organisations continue to struggle squaring the recruitment and talent puzzle. Arguably, with all the tools currently available to them, businesses are no better at recruiting than they were 20 years ago. Whilst new technologies and social media have widened the net, there is little evidence to suggest that decision making is improving or that organisations are better at understanding what makes a successful hire. Maybe it is time that we re-frame the talent question and look at recruitment decisions through a different set of filters?”
Frank Sonnenbergfrom Frank Sonnenberg Online presents Winging It Through Life. “Winging it is a form of shooting craps. You gamble that, prepared or not, you’ll be able to handle whatever comes up in life –– seven or snake eyes.”
Bernd Geropp from More Leadership presents 3 Ways how employee motivation gets destroyed!“Lots of managers want to motivate their employees. I believe that is the wrong approach. You don’t need to motivate but you have to take care that you don’t de-motivate. I share 3 ways how employee’s motivation can be easily destroyed and how it can be avoided.”
Jon Mertz from Thin Difference presents Interview with Megan Emme, Social Leader. “Many exciting Millennial leaders are rising up. Megan Emme is a great example of a social leader, emanating the characteristics of Gen Y in an engaging way.”
Mark Behl from Leadership for Today’s Executive presents Manage Expectations or Manage Emotions. “As a leader, you must learn to manage expectations or be really good at managing emotions. When we fail to manage people’s expectations, whether it is project timelines, budgets, or strategic initiatives, we are left managing their emotions. Senior leaders that are upset, customers that are frustrated and angry, or key stakeholders that thought more progress was being made. I have learned over the years that managing expectations will get you much further and help you build credibility as someone who is able to deliver on what they promised.”
Mary Faulkner from Surviving Leadership presents Everything Rustles (how fear drives your people). “Wonder why people are acting the fool in your organization? It’s probably fear. Learn how David Rock’s SCARF model can give you the framework to address the impact of fear in your organization.”
Lisa Kohnfrom The Thoughtful LeadersÔ Blog presents Soft skills have hard-core results. “In today’s fast-paced work environment, soft skills are anything but. They are the keys to effective leadership and they aren’t easy. Follow these simple steps to enhance your ‘soft skills’ and get the results you desire. Take the time to focus on your behaviors and interactions with others – and reap the benefits.”
Miki Saxon from MAPping Company Success presents Management is Like Coffee. “Just as there is an optimum amount of coffee that provides positive benefits there is an optimum amount of management that yields the best results; this is true no matter how high the quality of the coffee or excellent the management/coaching.”
Mike Henry Sr.from Lead Change Group presents 6 Forces Resisting Change“Have you considered what situations or temptations you face when you consider a better future? What forces work against change and for the Status Quo? What causes you to be tempted to choose something less than the best for you or your organization? Identify and face those challenges and push through to make a positive difference.”
Neal Burgis, Ph.D. from Practical Solutions presents Leaders Bouncing Back from a Fall“How leaders bounce back after a fall from grace? We are all immune to setbacks and falls. It is how well you manage your reputation and responding well to it that makes a big difference.”
Wally Bock from Three Star Leadership presents Ideas that will not die. “Just like those creatures in horror movies, there are ideas that just will not die and keep on wreaking havoc.”
Susan Mazzafrom Random Acts of Leadership presents 3 Ways Anyone Can Boost Team Performance. “You may think company culture can only really be affected (for better or for worse) by the CEO of an organization. But regardless of your level in an organization you have the power to impact the culture for the better.”
Joel Garfinkle from Career Advancement Blog presents 5 Tips for Promoting From Within. “When you realize what it’s costing the company not to promote from within, you’ll want to implement the five action steps for creating a new promotion policy.”
Bill Matthies from Business Wisdom presents Knowing when not to change to “normal”! “Change is inevitable, constant, but not everything needs to change all the time. Great leaders manage change, both that they wish to happen as well as that they don’t, and knowing the difference is what makes them great. Watch and listen to what Faith Jegede learned about that from her Autistic brothers. Great leadership is everywhere.”
Steve Roesler from All Things Workplace presents Who Are Your Conversation Catalysts? “What do you do when you need to get a message out to your organization or your customers, and want to do it as quickly and effectively as possible? Here is a quick read with action tips you can use today.”
Dianne Stetzer with Talent Management Intelligence presents The Innovation Paradox by Ellie Hall. “Want to drive a culture of innovation in your organization? That strategy starts at the top of your organization. Learn more about the conflicts that your CEO and senior team will face in implementing your innovation imperative.”
Entrepreneurs face difficulties that are hard for most people to imagine, let alone understand. You can find anonymous help and connections that do understand at 7 cups of tea.
Crises never end.
$10 really does make a difference and you’ll never miss it,
How time flies. Half the year is already gone and the rest will fly by even faster.
Several years ago I wrote a post that basically said 
