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Self-awareness is the key to personal growth as well as the foundation of high emotional intelligence, which is the ability to be aware of, control, and appropriately express emotions. Self-awareness is all about knowing ourselves, our personality, and, most crucially, our weaknesses. Together, these two skills allow us to handle interpersonal relationships of all kinds with empathy and integrity.
Read MoreSuccession development is one of those things that business leaders always seem to know they should institute, but hardly ever do. Some shy away from it because succession development can be threatening to the current leadership, or because it requires long-term discipline in a world focused on the short-term.
Read MoreA recent Gallup poll revealed the sobering fact that nearly two out of every three workers feel burned out. Burnout is very real and very dangerous. And although many of us are well acquainted with the risk of burning out while juggling work and childcare, doing so in our new and challenging reality of living through a global pandemic puts us at an increased risk of burnout. Collectively and as individuals, self-care is now more critical than ever for leaders.
Read MoreAs a leader, it's easy to assume that it's up to you to make the right decisions, to give practical instructions, and to generally make sure that things are running smoothly. While those roles are undoubtedly part of your job description, the most effective leaders know that there is one skill that must be done exceptionally well: asking questions. However, it doesn't end there.
Read MoreThe COVID-19 uncertainty has certainly created challenges and opportunities – depending on how you look at it. It is our choice as leaders how we react to this uncertainty. Here are the five “C’s” to keep in mind as you’re leading through COVID-19.
Read MoreToday’s professional world is moving at a breakneck pace and seems to be speeding up all the time. It’s no wonder, then, that everything we do seems to be measured by instant results. The quicker we can see the fruits of our labor, the more successful we feel, and the more in-demand our skills become.
Read MoreImagine that you're holding a beautiful ceramic dining plate in your hands. For some reason, you throw it to the ground, shattering it to pieces. Suddenly, however, you regret throwing the plate, so you apologize to it, hoping that it will reassemble itself and go back to the way it was. Unless this scenario is taking place in some surreal situation, the plate will remain unbroken; even if you decide to glue the pieces back together, it is irrevocably changed forever.
Read MoreWhen you think about it, time and attention are our only real currencies. We can always earn back the money that we spend, but we can never garner more time or split our attention without sacrificing something else, which is why it is crucial to leverage your time appropriately when pursuing your goals.
However, this is much easier said than done. Most people are bombarded with distractions or otherwise buried under countless tasks that make it a challenge to stay committed to their goals.
Read MoreStrengths are often hard-earned. They must be recognized, developed, and then deployed in a precise manner to make them useful. Regardless of the path you took to embrace your strengths, it took time and effort and has likely since become a foundational part of your success as well as your way of overcoming challenges. Your strengths may also be a big part of how others value your contributions.
Read MoreIf achieving ambitious goals like reaching one’s full potential or changing a mindset were easy, everyone would do it. However, the path of every worthwhile journey is marked by obstacles at every step of the way. No matter how thorough your preparation when you set out, or how clear your vision along the way, there will be obstacles to overcome. Many people seek to minimize obstacles or to anticipate ways to avoid them, but that's a missed opportunity. It is by clearing obstacles that the journey becomes fulfilling.
Read MoreImagine that you have been put in charge of conducting a study to find what motivates a group of employees. You ask them what makes them more engaged with their work and offer two choices: money or recognition in the workplace. You might be inclined to think that money is the bigger motivator. However, in a recent national research survey conducted by oGoLead—a leadership training firm—results indicated otherwise. In fact, 60% of employees surveyed reported being far more motivated by recognition over monetary compensation.
Read MoreReal talk: Failure happens. When it happens, it’s easy to feel like Humpty Dumpty toppling off the wall to never be put back together again. Failure often feels like the end of the world, but the reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. If failure is so common, how can we learn from it? How can we fail with dignity and grace? How can we learn to fail better?
Read MoreAll of us have been there at one time or another. You find yourself sitting in a conference room, looking around at your team. You are surrounded by competent, confident, and highly accomplished individuals. Without knowing why, you find yourself comparing yourself to all of these individuals. You start to question if you belong among them, and maybe even start to feel as if a mistake has been made.
Read MoreHumans are social animals. Really, it is our ability to build connections and lasting relationships that often sets us apart as a species. But unfortunately, this instinctual need to connect with each other doesn’t always come easily to us. According to a 2018 study conducted by Cigna, over half of all Americans reported feeling alone and isolated. This includes Americans working at our businesses. If we consider that the average employee works a 40 hour week, that’s a possible 2,080 hours a year that we may be contributing to a sense of loneliness in our team!
Read MorePresenteeism—or when employees show up at work physically but are unfocused and mentally elsewhere—is running rampant in the modern workplace. According to many recent studies, employee disengagement is at an all time high. We all dream of walking into work to find a motivated, keyed-in, ready-to-go team, but unfortunately that just isn’t the reality for the majority of businesses. But there is good news: this doesn’t have to remain true for you and your team.
Read MoreTrust is complicated. Whether we’re dealing in our personal or professional lives, trust isn’t something that can be faked. Trust is one of the most important aspects of running a business—maybe even the most important! Clients will not engage with a business they don’t trust; partners are likely to pair with more reliable companies; and employees will go looking for new opportunities if they cannot depend on their employers. Businesses run on trust.
Read MoreWhen we’re making big decisions in our personal lives—what color to paint the living room, which vacation spot to visit, what breed of dog makes a great pet for kids—we often go to our friends, families, and co-workers for advice. It’s helpful to hear from objective parties and get their opinions. We barely think twice about asking for advice in the private sector. So why, then, do we hesitate to ask for it in our business lives?
Read MoreFebruary is the shortest month of the year, but it often can feel like the longest. If you’re like me, then you went all-in on your goals in January. But now, a month later, you might feel like you’re starting to lose some steam, or that at least your team is. What causes this burn-out? Research shows that one of the main culprits is having too many goals and trying to achieve them all at once. Having a vision is good; having twelve visions can often lead to miscommunications, mistakes, and plain old exhaustion for both you and your team. So how can you avoid this to continue moving your business forward?
Read MoreWe’ve all been there: After counting down the seconds until midnight on December 31st and watching the ball drop in Times Square, after, we set our sights on our resolutions for the coming year. These resolutions usually concern our personal lives and, more often than not, our professional goals. Unfortunately, turning over a new leaf isn’t always easy.
Read MoreNew year, new you—isn’t that how the saying goes? It’s December, the end of 2018, and many of us are excitedly looking forward to the holidays and spending time with our families and friends. But as you’re filling out your New Year’s Resolutions for 2019, don’t forget to keep your professional goals in sight. Look around your business and evaluate the current atmosphere of your corporate culture.
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