Category Archive

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Leading when you're not the boss

Wayne Turmel | 01 July 2014

Most of what we hear about leadership is about leading people who work for us or with us. But what do you do when the people most in need of coaching and guidance outrank you? How do you do that in a way that ensures you will still have a job?

Leadership and a tourist map

Duane Dike | 23 June 2014

As I recently found out, relying on a free tourist map to get around an unfamiliar city is a sure-fire way to get lost. The same is true of leadership. Navigating intensely complicated human interactions is much more complicated than following a few easy steps to success.

Learning from horses

Lisa Brice | 18 June 2014

Horses are prey animals. Humans are predators. Our wiring is completely different. But horses can teach us an enormous amount about ourselves. And if we can build a rapport with such a different species, it becomes much easier to handle our human relationships.

Leadership lessons from Hector Berlioz

James M. Kerr | 20 May 2014

19th century French composer Hector Berlioz had a profound influence on the development of the modern orchestra. But apart from music, his life provides us with some valuable lessons on leadership, too.

Are women better leaders than men?

Mitch McCrimmon | 06 May 2014

With the modern work environment emphasizing feminine relationship-building skills to the exclusion of masculine competitive instincts, the idea that women make better leaders than men is gaining ground. But perhaps the reality lies somewhere in the middle.

What we can learn from awful managers

Gary Sheard | 05 May 2014

There are innumerable examples of awful management: the media is full of them. But rather than dismiss them, how about learning from them so that we can start to re-pot the seeds of human potential into more fertile ground.

If you want to be a leader, you need the right kit!

Brian Amble | 24 April 2014

If you want to be seen as a leader, you need to portray the right image to other people. And these days, it seems that 'image' is all about been seen to have the right gadgets.

Five core skills for remote leaders

Wayne Turmel | 26 March 2014

The demands of leading a team who don't share a common location or time zone are an order of magnitude more difficult than if they are in the same building. That calls for additional leadership skills on top of those normally needed.

Fiction, factions and leadership

Duane Dike | 11 March 2014

Much of what we think is reality is actually closer to fictional reality. In other words, we make stuff up. How we think about our world is mostly our own perception. And so disagreement is just a mental choice to not agree. And that has big implications for how we make decisions.

Why there will never be an app for leadership

Cindy Wahler | 05 March 2014

Great leaders spend years honing their skills. There's no pre-ordained template that they can tap into for wisdom. There's no magic potion or quick fix. And even your smartphone won't help you with this one.

This is who I am – deal with it

Dan Bobinski | 21 February 2014

Before we start to pick holes in others, we need to look at ourselves first. That's why managers whose attitude is, 'this is who I am, deal with it' are so toxic, and why the higher up the ladder they climb, the worse the fall-out can be.

Leadership: we're in it together

James M. Kerr | 18 February 2014

Outstanding leaders lead by example. They naturally express a sense that 'we're all in it together' because they make deliberate efforts to communicate the sense that everyone shares the same goals and aspirations and that these ambitions can be achieved as one.

Inspiration, not perspiration

Brian Amble | 13 February 2014

For senior executives, it's inspiration, not perspiration, that matters. More precisely, the ability to motivate and lead others is the most important skill that boards are looking for when they make senior appointments, far more so than their ability to be a 'top performer'.

The timeless truths of leadership

Duane Dike | 10 February 2014

I recently stumbled across a piece I wrote on leadership a decade ago. It reminded me that while the fundamentals of leadership have changed little, keeping to our leadership ideals can still pose some real challenges.

Do narcissists make good leaders?

Brian Amble | 17 January 2014

Vision, confidence and pride in one's own accomplishments are all desirable leadership traits. But they're also signs of a narcissist. Which is why a new study has tried to come up with a definitive answer to the question: do narcissists make good leaders?

Confidence, security and leadership

Duane Dike | 16 January 2014

The link between security and performance is too often forgotten by those at the helm of organizations. No-one can function effectively in their role if they don't feel secure. And that's as true for leader-types as it is for everyone else.

Want to be a better leader? Learn to be poetic

Janet Howd | 06 January 2014

A key component of leadership is the ability to make sure that other people understand what you want from them. The best way to go about that is to use 'the best words in the best order' - which happens to be Samuel Taylor Coleridge's description of poetry.

First among equals: a new approach to leadership

Sarah Alexander | 12 December 2013

Traditional management practices evolved during the industrial age. But while the world has moved on, management has been left behind. The 21st century demands a leadership model that isn't ego-led but based on 'Primus Inter Pares' - first among equals.

Leadership lessons from Nelson Mandela

Brian Bacon | 06 December 2013

Nelson Mandela's qualities and impact as a leader are indisputable. He was courageous and resolute. He was a pattern-breaker. His character and vision were profound. Yet, his most enduring legacy won't be what he did as much as what he didn't do.

Leading growth is an endurance sport

Alison Romney Eyring | 02 December 2013

Creating, sustaining and leading growth takes a lot more than big goals and hard work. If you want to lead sustained growth, train yourself and your team to think and act more like endurance athletes.

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