Archive for effective leaders

Thought Leader or Thought Inspirer?

I have to admit, I’ve never loved the phrase “thought leader.” Who really wants to have someone else lead their thoughts? We use the phrase so frequently that perhaps we’ve not stopped to think how we may inadvertently be giving up our right and responsibility to be the…

People Management: Demystifying a Complicated Recipe

I think it’s fair to say, that in relative terms, people management is having a moment. Heck, even Silicon Valley is taking notice. It’s quite common to hear the phrase, “war for talent” inside of today’s organizations. An offshoot of this “war” is that once an organization feels…

A Delicate Balance: How Effective Consulting Leaders Manage the Needs of Clients and Business

Working in the consulting industry myself, at first I found it a little ironic that it was so challenging to write this post. Flipping the switch from client calls and content development to writing was daunting, and I kept putting it off. Then I realized it was fairly…

Leading across Borders: Using Data to Inform a Global Workforce

There’s no denying that, in ways both personal and professional, we are more globally connected than ever. In fact, the flow of information internationally has increased more than 250% since 2001, according to the 2018 DHL Global Connectedness Index. Many of us also hold stereotypes about different countries….

What are the most effective leaders in Higher Education doing differently?

If we were to believe most TV shows and movies, we would think that to be successful in higher education, one needs a high degree of arrogance, self-importance, and even a tendency to isolate oneself. However, our findings on the behaviors associated with effectiveness in higher education leaders…

In the Eye of the Beholder: What the Research Tells us about Why You Can’t Please Everyone

As a lifelong “people pleaser,” I can attest that there is a paralysis that comes with trying to please everyone all of the time. Saying yes to one person may mean saying no to another. Being the life of the party may be charming to one person, while…

Webinar Wrap-Up: Surprises as we Explore the Science of Self-Confidence (Part 1)

When it comes to self-confidence, can leaders fake it til they make it? In other words – if a leader looks confident, but doesn’t quite feel it inside, can anyone tell the difference? How does it impact the impression they’re making on their colleagues, and how they’re perceived…

Has Employee Engagement Gone off the Rails?

You know the idiom, “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”? This is how I feel about employee engagement in its current form; almost like it has become Frankenstein’s weirder sibling. I should note that I was fascinated by employee engagement in graduate school; yet I’m…