Great Example of Leadership in Action

January 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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Living in the Washington DC area, you can't escape the excitement of Washington Redskins fans as their team–finally, after four losing seasons–contends for a playoff spot. At the center of their big turnaround from 3 wins & 6 loses to ending up at the top of their division is their rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin, aka RG III. The Washington Post had an extensive piece recently on this phenomenal leader. What the article revealed was a classic case of some core leadership traits and … [Read more...]

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Fear and Managers’ Fears

May 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You seldom hear the word "fear" in management development workshops. Of course the word is not welcome anywhere in organizations. It's the "F word" in offices and plants. Odd, isn't it, since fear is always lurking in our workplaces, especially during the last few years of economic hell? For some inexplicable reason your people think that you aren't worried about your own job or about the brutal labor market you would be thrown into if you lost it. They think only they have fears. But, as you … [Read more...]

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TW 2010 Global Workforce Study-Comment #2

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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One of the themes that emerge from TowersWatson's latest survey is around Self-Reliance. Three quarters of respondents agreed that they are ultimately responsible for their financial and career security. This is a good thing. It indicates a tacit willingness to accept accountability. Here's the challenge for employers around this, to quote TW… How much responsibility and risk can reasonably be shifted to employees without impeding their productivity? And what can organizations do to equip … [Read more...]

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True Leaders Leave a Huge Hole

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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I was struck by a local news item in The Washington Post on Brian Betts, a model middle school principal, who was found gunned down in his home. While the story obviously includes the murder aspect, I was touched by the leadership angle. Rising to a challenge: Here was a white man who took over a school that was struggling, in a lower income community that is predominantly African America and Hispanic. Furthermore, he talked openly with parents and students about it. Open to innovative ideas: … [Read more...]

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Getting Motivated by Meeting those You Serve

March 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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It's notoriously hard to motivate people who work in repetitive or routine administrative or blue collar jobs. Adam Grant, management professor at the Wharton School of Business, however, has done some research which perhaps makes the task a tad easier. Knowledge@Wharton reports on a series of experiments by Grant, all linked to the idea that if you have the opportunity to meet, face-to-face, with at least a sample of the people who ultimately benefit from the work you do, your performance … [Read more...]

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Skills & Knowledge…Leveraged through Attitude

November 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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At a recent workshop leadership consultant Kevin Shane made a point that really resonated with me. He said, Your attitude has a huge multiplier effect on your skills and knowledge." Your employees can have terrific skills and a lifetime of technical knowledge but, unless their attitude is positive, they will fail to apply these toward the best results they can achieve. As a leader, your skills and knowledge are the price of entry, the starting platform on which to build your effectiveness. … [Read more...]

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Article – The Other Way… Beyond Technology to Leverage Your Investment in Your People

September 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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"Our people are the key to our success." How so very often we have heard executives mouth these words. But then, how very often we have also heard their people mutter words such as, "Oh yeah, well, if we really are the key, how come they don't... " Of course, it is true. In this increasingly competitive, knowledge-based and customer-driven economy your people are absolutely vital to how your enterprise performs. After all, pretty well everything that is done in your organization is done … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Building Accountability, Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,