When I was coming up at IBM in the 1990s, it was very uncommon for someone to be promoted to a leadership position on the team where they were already working. A promotion almost always included a move to a different part of the business and often to another city. People would say IBM stood for “I’ve been moved.” Well,…
Are you a good leader or a great leader? Researchers Dr. Jack Zenger and Dr. Joe Folkman used 360-degree feedback data to determine the critical skills of the leaders progressing the most in their leadership. And one of the key findings from their research was the effect that communication effectiveness has on your reputation as a leader. Improving Communication Effectiveness…
As the department manager wrapped up the monthly financial review with his team, he said, “People, I have never seen times like these. It’s understandable that customers are cautious and moving slowly, but this is the most important quarter in our company’s history. If we cannot deliver on the numbers, it will mean big trouble for us!” And with that,…
It’s not unusual these days to have someone from the youngest generation in the workforce, Gen Z, come asking for a promotion to first-line manager after only a few months in their current role. While you admire their confidence and conviction, you also know they are not ready. You also know they are the kind of person who can be…
When my son was a teenager, he got in some trouble. While this is not unusual for teenagers, what bothered me the most was I was the last to learn about the situation. When I asked my son why he didn’t come to me, he said I seemed so perfect, and he didn’t want to disappoint me or ruin my…
Your leadership credibility is heavily tied to your character and competence. While it seems logical to work on improving our competence as a leader, very little is said about intentionally improving our character. Author Napoleon Hill commented, “The chances are ten to one that if you are devoting some of your time to self-improvement through reading the right sort of…
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