Positive Leadership: Leading With Impact

Wondering how high powered women deal with risk, failure and, yes, success? Here are some thoughts:

Positive Leadership: Leading With Impact

Positive Leadership: Avoiding the Ego Trap

Ego and insecurity are the two greatest land mines of leadership. 

Ego creeps in when you start not to value other people—when you begin to look at people as what can they do for you instead of what you can do for them. There are three characteristics needed to become a successful leader:

1. Build consensus. Abraham Lincoln was great at bringing together the people around him to help make up for his weaknesses. The fallacy of leadership is thinking if you can lead in one area, you can lead in all areas. Value the opinion of others before making a decision.

2. Practice humility. Instead of talking about their own accomplishments, leaders should look to give the team the credit.

3. Take risks. Leaders are not afraid to step out and say 'this is what needs to be done'. Winston Churchill, for example, stood alone against Parliament in his opposition to Nazism.  

Positive Leadership: Avoiding the Ego Trap

Positive Leadership: Rebecca Watson, Lady Vol Student Athlete

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the USA prides itself on developing 'student-athletes'. As their advertising says - 'most of us go pro in something other than sports'.

Today, I want to pay tribute to my older daughter, Rebecca, who graduated yesterday from the University of Tennessee. Rebecca is a Lady Vol; a two-time Academic All-American who graduated cum laude in business. Rebecca played on the  Lady Vol golf team for four years and is now returning to Scotland to begin a CA traineeship with Ernst & Young.

Rebecca embodies everything which the term 'student-athlete' stands for and we wish her every success in her future career. 

Positive Leadership: Rebecca Watson, Lady Vol Student Athlete

Positive Leadership: Because I Do

Positive Leadership: Because I Do

Positive Leadership: Enemies Define Our Leadership

Positive Leadership: Enemies Define Our Leadership

Positive Leadership: Pass It On

The values we live by are best when we pass them on...Pass it on... (From the Foundation for a Better Life and Josh Groban) http://www.values.com/pass-it-on-sightings

Positive Leadership: Pass It On

Positive Leadership: How Can Teams Make Better Decisions?

Alan Mulally is president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company. Throughout his career, Mulally has been recognizsd for his contributions and industry leadership, including being named "Person of the Year" for 2006 by Aviation Week magazine and one of "The Best Leaders of 2005" by BusinessWeek magazine.

Positive Leadership: How Can Teams Make Better Decisions?

Positive Leadership: Will Smith on Leadership and Other Inspiring Thoughts

Positive Leadership: Will Smith on Leadership and Other Inspiring Thoughts

Positive Leadership: The Business Case for Leadership Development

One of the biggest challenges HR professionals face when they propose new leadership development initiatives is convincing CEOs of the financial impact of the proposed initiative.  Without a clear sense of the positive financial impact, it’s easy to write-off a new proposal as too expensive, or that now is not the right time.  The lack of urgency to improve performance is based on the idea that that the current level of leadership skill in the organisation is good enough.  But is it? A look at most companies has shown that the typical organisation is leaving considerable value in untapped potential lying on the table through less-than-optimal leadership practices.  

For example, in 2006 The Ken Blanchard Companies conducted a year-long study to identify the connections between leadership effectiveness, employee passion, customer devotion, and overall organisational vitality.  

They identified several correlations:

• Effective operational leadership directly predicts positive employee passion
• Positive employee passion directly predicts customer devotion
• Customer devotion directly predicts organisational vitality.

Positive Leadership: The Business Case for Leadership Development

Positive Leadership: Exercise and Leadership

Leaders who appear physically fit are viewed as better leaders. According to an article on weeklyleader.net:

“Fitness does so much more than just keep the extra weight off and prevent us from blaming the cleaners for shrinking our clothes. It increases mental stamina and endurance as well. It helps one weather stressful events with aplomb, and to keep one's head when all around them are losing theirs. The leader of the group, the one expected to make a good decision under stress and chart an effective course, should take advantage of the extra mental acuity and sharpness that comes with being physically fit.”

One study from the Centre for Creative Leadership found that individuals who exercise are significantly more effective leaders than those who don’t. According to the study, executives who exercise rate significantly higher on skills such as leading others (inter-personal savvy, inspiring commitment, and creating synergy), leading by personal example and results orientation than non-exercisers.

Probably one of the simplest and easiest exercises to do is to take a walk.  According to the Franklin Institute, walking is very beneficial to the brain because it “increases blood circulation and the oxygen and glucose that reach your brain.” As you walk, you effectively oxygenate your brain. Maybe this is why walking can “clear your head” and help you to think better.

Positive Leadership: Exercise and Leadership

Positive Leadership: Lessons from Adversity - Simon Cooper of Ritz Carlton

Positive Leadership: Lessons from Adversity - Simon Cooper of Ritz Carlton

Positive Leadership: The Power of Leadership Quotes

Leadership quotes are leadership tools that inspire us. Studies have shown that leadership quotes have made a positive impact in our day-to-day life. They are considered as one of the best leadership tools. These inspirational words awaken your potential. Leadership quotes are one-line statements but their meaning is vast and impact is immense. These words not only inspire but also promote personal development.

Leadership quotes are the right words that are delivered at right time and in a right way.  They can change your negative attitude and transform your problems into opportunities. Leadership quotes can give you strategy to solve your problems. These words help to stay focused in your work. Leadership quotes will encourage and inspire you to achieve higher goals. If you use leadership quotes in a speech, it will have a greater impact on the audience. Leadership quotes will help the speaker to effectively communicate with the audience. Strong leaders use leadership quotes for effective leadership. They use it as a tool to support their strategy, vision and mission. 

Leadership quotes are like pearls of wisdom. It is up to you, to find vision in leadership quotes. A leadership quote if implemented can transform your life positively. Leadership quotes can tell you how to be successful in life.

Positive Leadership: The Power of Leadership Quotes

Positive Leadership: Defining Corporate Culture

Andy Friere, Co-founder and CEO of Axialent, argues that what leaders do--not what they say--defines the organisation's culture. Friere suggests that most leaders are not actually aware of how what they do is perceived and shapes culture. However, shaping a strong culture is one of the most important activities for any entrepreneur because it determines, in part, whether the company goes on to success after the founder leaves or whether it fails.

Positive Leadership: Defining Corporate Culture

Positive Leadership: Building Team Spirit Together

Societe Generale recently launched a new communications campaign, with a new signature, around a message that is strong and engaging for its customers and its employees: "Building team spirit together".

Positive Leadership: Building Team Spirit Together

Positive Leadership: How Video Games Build Leaders

           Stanford professor Byron Reeves explains how online multiplayer games like 'World of Warcraft' are creating the next generation of leaders:

Positive Leadership: How Video Games Build Leaders

Positive Leadership: The Importance of the Right Team Attitude

Herschel Walker talks about the attitude of the Georgia Bulldogs 1980 National Championship team.

Positive Leadership: The Importance of the Right Team Attitude

Positive Leadership: Dressing for Leadership

Jewellery designer and fashion blogger Wendy Brandes talks about how Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama have handled the tricky question of dressing like a leader:

Positive Leadership: Dressing for Leadership

Positive Leadership: How To Handle Difficult Conversations

Mary Ellen Slayter, Senior Editor of SmartBrief sits down with the Chief Human Resource Officer for Time Warner Cable Paul Falcone to discuss how HR managers can best manage the 101 toughest employee conversations:

Positive Leadership: How To Handle Difficult Conversations

Positive Leadership: A Video Every Leader Will Benefit From Watching

In one of the most memorable races in Olympic history Derek Redmond of Great Britain finishes his 400m Semi-Final crying on the shoulder of his father. Powerful. Utterly Olympic.

This take on Redmond's historic Olympic run gets the goose bumps going, but also drives home some valuable leadership lessons. We're all subject to disappointment and failure, but leaders are defined and remembered for how they react in times of crisis. Similarly, the people we surround ourselves with are often the keys to our achievements, helping us through when the going gets tough. When your time comes, how will you react, and who will help you through the finish line?

Positive Leadership: A Video Every Leader Will Benefit From Watching

Positive Leadership: The Big Question

Famed Harvard Legal professor, Alan Dershowitz, asks developing and aspiring leaders to think forward. Taking a page from science fiction, Dershowitz asks his students to imagine the future and what issues will have to be confronted. In asking the question, his hope is to get people thinking about where we're going, prepare them to confront challenges, and assume a leadership position along the way:

Positive Leadership: The Big Question

Positive Leadership: Usain Bolt - The Art & Science of Coaching (Parts 1, 2 & 3)

Positive Leadership: Usain Bolt - The Art & Science of Coaching (Parts 1, 2 & 3)

Positive Leadership: The Changing Face of Leadership

Recent studies in the field of management, particularly related to leadership, indicate that there are dramatic changes happening in how people in organisations perceive a leader and leadership. Gone are the days when a leader is recognised by the glow in his face or the charisma he displayed. It is no longer a mandatory trait that a leader exudes power from his face.

Organisations today observe that ordinary individuals also demonstrate strong leadership traits and are able to drive teams towards achievement. A leader is no longer expected to have that “larger-than-life,” flamboyant behaviour. It is also a widely observed phenomenon that it is not just the individuals at the top level who play leadership roles, there are many others down the hierarchy; who demonstrate the ability and the keenness to lead teams and nurture team spirit.

Another characteristic that is being accepted by the majority of organisations is that leaders are not born. Even the shop-floor supervisor or the frontline executive could instil a vision in their colleagues and  subordinates and help them share a common goal.

Furthermore, the understanding exists that leaders do not coerce others to do work. They achieve results through developing a shared vision and communicating it to others while inducing the passion and commitment. Commitment is also seen as one of the important traits that stands out in most surveys done on leadership during the last decade.

Leaders today must outline tasks for their teams, and then focus on equipping the team members with the right knowledge, skills and attitude and also get their buy-in. Employees at all levels of the organisation are increasingly being asked to demonstrate the capacity to lead and ensure that the organisation stays abreast of changing times. 

Positive Leadership: The Changing Face of Leadership

Positive Leadership: Must Be The Music

T

Positive Leadership: Must Be The Music

Positive Leadership: Building a Better Life in Business

Former HSBC Chairman Stephen Green, author of Good Value: Reflections on Money, Morality and an Uncertain World, talks about money, morality and an uncertain world.

Positive Leadership: Building a Better Life in Business