This guest post from Laurie Erdman reminds us that even though we are often encouraged to play small and create a work environment where I staffs can play small too, this helps nobody. It takes courage to play big. Where can you play bigger than you do today? ~Dana Much is written about why fast...
“I am a really good #2. I don’t want to be #1.” “I really love the job I’m in and don’t want my boss’s job. It just seems too political.” “I think I could do my boss’s job, but I don’t really want that much stress in my life right now.” “My kids are young, I’m already working as hard as I can, I...
Sheryl Sandberg contributed many valuable insights to professional women in her book, Lean In. The one that hit me most squarely was her analogy of a career as a jungle gym instead of a ladder. Truer words have never been written, and I think this is a major contribution to the discussion of...
I’ve always admired the leaders of get it done, change the world companies and their CEOs; companies like Apple, Facebook and Spanx. But before I get too starry-eyed and wanting to emulate leaders like Jobs, Sandberg and Blakely I have to stop and remind myself that 96% of corporate leaders are...
What is the glass ceiling these days? The traditional view is that the glass ceiling is the white male’s comfy, old boy culture at the top that is threatened by the entrance of women into their private enclaves. In these secret nooks and crannies of corporate culture, it’s thought, leadership...
I just read a great article by Richard Boyatzis detailing the brain science behind “emotional contagion.” I find this particularly interesting in the context of corporate culture, having observed some pretty toxic bosses “infect” their staffs and encourage cultures where competition, backstabbing, emotional abuse and just plain incompetence were so rampant that you could feel the powerlessness and despair when you walked in the door.
The good news is that the ability to emotionally infect your staff and teams can be used for good by leaders who understand their responsibility to foster a positive environment and culture where others are in their power and able to perform at their best. To be a good leader, then, you need to…
Leadership advice runs rampant on the internet, which is fine because most of it comes from a place of wisdom and reflection. If you’re a woman aspiring to lead, however, there is one tiny problem with this spew of “how to” and “Top 10” lists. Since our dominant leadership culture is male,...
Time management isn’t just an issue for busy executives. When you’re in the volunteering stage of your work-life it is a much needed skill. Volunteers often over-extend themselves and also feel that they should be able to complete 99 tasks and projects at home just because they are not “working”...
By: Lea McLeod At some point in your career, it’s inevitable that you will discover the opportunity to work with executives. Whether it’s a joy or a trial is up to you. It could be an executive in your organization, the executive of a customer or maybe even a big donor in your non-profit. No...
It all started in kindergarten, or maybe it was preschool. You got a gold star when you did something well. Those gold stars might as well have been made of gold they were so precious. And thus began your structured indoctrination in rewards for work. If you’re anything like me and millions of...
