The practitioners of “emotionally intelligent leadership” agree that self-awareness is a cornerstone skill to develop. I offer today’s experimental Reading for Leading with the intent of helping you raise your self awareness. I have a question, then a challenge. I’m hoping that tomorrow (when I send you a link), at least 500 people will weigh-in … Continued
As long-time readers know (and by the way, today marks the beginning of year 14 of RFL), from time-to-time readers get enthused and write back to me with better ideas than I have shared in the first place. Today I feature feedback from a friend, Bill Richards, who works, okay, he’s a judge, in the … Continued
My vocal teacher has story after story – starting with her own – of how critics can be to a singer’s esteem, what termites are to a wooden home. A single criticism can devour the mind of self-confidence and easy expression. Singers or not, everyone I know has a story of criticisms planted in their … Continued
Are you, as I am in middle age, drawn to enchanted memories of early years? I can see, even smell certain places I haven’t been in 40 years. So my brother Pat repeatedly says to me, “Danny, we’ve got to go back and play Birmingham [Country Club].” He and I caddied there. We spent hundreds … Continued
Special 12th Anniversary Guest Column JOEL GARFINKLE: Great Leaders Use Influence, Not Power Many leaders confuse influence with power. However, there is a vast difference between the two and the simple act of learning that difference and how to use it can move your career ahead in unexpected ways. To illustrate–a story. Jody was a senior VP at a … Continued
Friends, Sometimes December has the feel of the late stages of a marathon. The work, like those 26.2 miles, keeps coming, and you really start to just want it to be over. Even harder than those moments late in a marathon are the moments late in an 18 or 20-mile long training run (where there’s … Continued
Special 12th Anniversary Edition Guest Blogger: Jim Kouzes First the bad news. Tuesday, October 16, was not a very good day for bosses. It should have been a good day—it was Boss’s Day after all—but it wasn’t. Instead of getting congratulatory notes, candy, and flowers bosses nationally got a report card from author and … Continued
Special 12th Anniversary Guest Column KIM S. CAMERON: Building on the Positive When Faced With the Negative We are all familiar with the principle that leaders should emphasize the positive, build on strengths, and focus on abundance rather than deficits. We know that providing positive feedback is likely to produce higher productivity and higher engagement that criticism … Continued
A note from Dan: Somehow 12 years have passed since I began writing Reading for Leading. To mark the anniversary, each month I will feature a special RFL guest column from one of my favorite authors, most of whom have become mentors, colleagues and friends. In upcoming columns you’ll hear from Jim Kouzes, Sally Helgesen and … Continued
Friends, [I’ll return next week to the series on the things that undermine best-self leadership. But I’ve got to stop for this awesome holiday.] Instead of a question at the end of RFL, consider this, up front: Who is the most thanks-giving person you know? Whoever that person is I’m confident you would say these … Continued