And you thought it was just you. Research shows that the more power(*) a manager or leader has, the more likely they are to ignore advice. Does this describe your boss? We’ve all had them. To some extent the findings in this research--that powerful people listen less to others' advice--makes...
Emotional Intelligence at Work
How Managers Can Improve Employee Engagement & Retention
By: Patricia Hughes Organizations are experiencing another perfect storm in recruiting and hiring. A combination of decreasing employee engagement, increasing turnover and fewer skilled candidates available, is making it tough for companies to get the right resources. Given these challenges to...
The Future of Work Unleashes Human Potential
Ever want to look into a crystal ball and see the future? What is the future of work going to look like and will you be ready? - Click To Tweet How will you lead in the rapidly changing future of work? Start by understanding that the workplace is changing and becoming more fluid. Here are some...
The Antidote for Toxic Corporate Culture
In a recent leadership development workshop I facilitated, one woman bravely spoke her truth about the reality of the toxic corporate culture they all worked in. It was dysfunctional. Managers were petty and their pettiness was only overshadowed by the pettiness of the leaders above them. All...
The Upside of Office Politics
Sometimes my clients start falling into a pattern, and it gives me an opportunity to look more deeply at common challenges we all face. Lately, too many of my clients have fallen into the “victim of office politics” trap. This looks different for each person, but in every case it feels like...
Getting Ahead and Getting Along: Two Sides of the Leadership Development Coin
Can leaders be both self-interested and others-oriented? At first glance, it may seem that these attributes are at opposing ends of the same continuum. Research from global business graduate school INSEAD posits a different viewpoint, and one that has implications for HR and Organizational...
5 Leadership Lessons From The Worst Bosses I’ve Ever Had
I recently read a fabulous post by Steve Tobak on BNET with tons of great management advice based on his personal experience. It reminded me that after scolding Steve Jobs and other jerk bosses, I actually owe my two worst bosses some props in public. I doubt they’ll read this but you never know...
Want to Inspire Your Team? Develop This Leadership Trait First
Leaders must inspire team members to achieve their personal and professional best. Pep talks and motivational speeches can only go so far, and if you lack one trait in particular, they may not help you at all. A team of researchers from the graduate business school INSEAD has uncovered a...
Want to Attract Talent? Be Talent!
Someone recently asked me for my secret to making a good hire and attracting talented employees. I had to admit that I’ve never considered myself particularly skilled at hiring, even though I’ve made some stellar hires - if I do say so myself - so I had to dig deep for some executive coaching...
Why Is Leading Innovation So Hard?
Innovation so often happens in the unplanned places. This is something of a conundrum for many leaders whose manufacturing B-School heritage tells them that everything should be planned out, documented and accounted for. Innovation – like its sister creativity – cannot be planned, budgeted, shoved into a “retreat” or predicted. It happens in the shower and in the in-between spaces of life and work.
Leading innovation is difficult because you have to risk looking like a fool. But when the great leader looks beneath the surface of the failures innovative playtime produces, they often discover that in those failures are seeds of success. Sometimes it’s a specific idea that results, sometimes it’s just reenergized employees, which can pay back in employee creativity, retention and improved customer service.
Innovation is a personal skill too. Here are three things you can do to create space for innovation in your life.