“Confidentiality and transparency are not mutually exclusive, but rather two sides of the same coin.” Thomas de Maiziere Transparency is no longer the flavor of the month or latest buzzword. It’s now a core value and guiding principle that drives organizational vision and strategy. This transparency, the free and honest flow of information, is key […]
By Wanda Stallworth, senior consultant, The Leadership Group LLC. The high-profile #metoo movement has raised awareness about sexual harassment in the workplace to new heights. Even so, it is important not to overlook potential signs of trouble in your own organization, in areas that don’t generate the glare of national headlines or viral social media […]
Two recent books are seeking to gauge the impact of the newest generation of employees, who began entering the work force in large numbers this year, and the authors view Generation Z differently. The more troubling take is from Jean M. Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of “iGen: Why […]
You may think baseball’s traditional lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs (at least until last fall’s Word Series victory) have little to do with the kind of leadership you want to bring to your organization. You’d be wrong. So, how did the Cubs use a renewed commitment to leadership principles to break what seemed like a […]
Most Americans felt the dust would settle after the election results were finalized and looked forward to things getting back to normal. What we’ve seen though is an increase and escalation in anger, hate speech and divisiveness. Strong polarization is evident not only in the media and our communities, but also in the workplace. From […]
It’s not what the Vision IS, it’s what the Vision Does Wouldn’t it be nice if the path to the future was right in front of us and our task as leaders was simply to recognize it and go with it? And what if this path was free of potholes, detours, washouts, steep inclines, declines, […]
“Courage is the first virtue because it makes all others possible.” Aristotle Fear infiltrates organizational cultures causing poor results, high anxiety and rampant stress. An oppressive atmosphere makes people shut down and shut up in order to survive. A toxic climate robs an organization of its best asset: the ideas of its people. To overcome […]
A for-profit executive who thinks she/he can easily transition to become a non-profit executive usually does not appreciate the difference between these two worlds. Two key differences are the difference in metrics and decision making styles. Financial bottom-line metrics are given less emphasis as performance metrics in a non-profit. The financial regulations and various funder […]
Leaders of organizations are responsible for creating an environment where people thrive. Disagreements, turf wars and even differences of opinion can lead to work place stress and unproductive teams. However, conflict is not necessarily negative; healthy, managed conflict is important for team effectiveness, innovation and positive results. As a leader, you need to model the […]
How do leaders inspire top performance in their employees? How do they generate enthusiasm, passion and true employee engagement in achieving and exceeding organizational goals? A starting point is for leaders to create clarity and alignment around organizational goals and objectives. This begins with each employee having a clear understanding of his/her job responsibilities. Research […]