This is a guest post by Maxine Attong. There’s no shortage of fanfare for the hottest corporate buzzword of the past several years – innovation. As Forbes noted in a 2012 article, the word has become the “awesome” of corporate speak. Innovation is the quality desired by business leaders, who tend to believe that if you’re not innovating, you’re dying a slow death. While … [Read more...]
Why Work-Life Balance is the Wrong Idea
By Brian Mohr, co-founder and managing partner for Y Scouts. The corporate world is susceptible to fads. Work-life balance, a push to properly prioritize work in relation to lifestyle, features the kind of fad-ish thinking that can lead gifted people down the wrong path, says talent expert Brian Mohr. “Think of those who love their job. For them, it’s not exactly … [Read more...]
[Infographic]: Gain Confidence from Your Failures
Failure is a big part of life, in general. In business, failure is even more inevitable. Every idea, plan or decision just can't be successful. As a first-time supervisor, you can expect your fair share of failures early on and well into the future because even the most seasoned leaders fail. However, what will set you apart from the pack is how well you respond to those … [Read more...]
A Lesson from the Reddit Mess
By Jaimy Ford Last week, user-generated news source Reddit experienced a pretty big hullabaloo after firing beloved talent director Victoria Taylor. The online community essentially went dark as moderators of nearly 300 subreddits revolted in response to the news. Since, interim CEO Ellen Pao has issued a public apology, but that hasn't stopped angry users and moderators … [Read more...]
2 Lessons From Your July 4th Barbecue
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and in the United States, that means fireworks, parades and crowds of people wearing red, white and blue. Additionally, a good percentage of Americans will celebrate the 4th of July tomorrow by hosting or attending a cookout, barbecue or picnic. And most will overindulge in food and fun. As with most things, I can't help but reflect and … [Read more...]
Focusing on the Positives of Moving into Management
By Jaimy Ford Much of the literature written for first time supervisors focuses on the negative aspects of taking over a team. And trust me, it can be difficult. You have tougher, more frequent decisions to make. You are responsible for hitting goals. You have to deal regularly with difficult situations and people. And usually, you have to increase the amount of work for … [Read more...]
4 Types of Bad Managers You Don’t Want to Become
As a new manager, you are still learning the ropes and coming into your own as a leader. Just make sure you aren't becoming one of these four types of really bad managers. Check out this infographic from Enmast. … [Read more...]
Kiss of Death: Breaking Team Trust
By Sheri Staak Honesty takes courage, consistency, and confidence. Great leaders don’t need to be perfect, but they need to possess a self-assuredness and fearlessness that enable them to act truthfully, acknowledge their shortcomings, and admit their mistakes. Only then can they garner the respect of their team members and, by way of example, teach them to conduct … [Read more...]
Wise Words: Margaret Thatcher on Leadership
Preempt Interruptions
This is a guest post by Amy Beth Miller, business writer and editor. One morning when I was still a relatively new manager, Matt came to my desk and told me about a comic routine he had seen the night before. The comedian described how a child will constantly interrupt a parent who is on the phone: “Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!” Then the comedian asked the audience to imagine if they … [Read more...]