Posts By Date

By: Beth Flynn, Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
  1. "Credibility: the power derived from your professional standing and expertise.
  2. Character: the underlying traits, values and beliefs that shape your behavior.
  3. Presence: the impact you create and the feelings you stimulate when people meet you.
  4. Position: the roles you play and how you maneuver yourself into the limelight.
  5. Connections: the network of relationships you have around you and your work.
  6. Skills: those exceptional abilities you have that enable you to get things done.
  7. Agenda: the issues and priorities you focus your leadership attention on (p. 29)."
 
From: Gautrey, C. (2014).  Influential leadership: a leader's guide to getting things done.  London:  Kogan Page.

 

By: Beth Flynn, Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
"In today's collaborative teams, it's not always the manager taking on the leadership role; sometimes it's another team member.  The key is that leadership, regardless of who is doing it, is shifting more toward focusing on people than process.
 
In an environment where everyone can take on the leadership role, leaders don't dangle carrots and prod with sticks.  Leaders don't delegate.  Leaders don't get involved in assigning work or choosing people for teams.  The role is not so much to evaluate, rate, rank, review, differentiate, and recommend for promotion.  Rather, the leadership job is to coach, chart the path, clear the path, and help people have awesome experiences in the process.  It involves a lot of communicating, a lot of emphasis on goals, being clear on priorities, erring to 'yes,' and attention to the people side of things.  It means taking personal responsibility for continually advancing your people skills (p. 36)." 
 
Question:
 
What advice can you give about how leaders can focus on people, not just processes?
 
From: Hurwitz, M. & Hurwitz, S. (2015).  Leadership is half the story: a fresh look at followership, leadership, and collaboration.  Guelph, Ontario: University of Toronto Press.
By: Beth Flynn, Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
"Today, take a good old-fashioned recess in the middle of the day.  Go ahead and do your hardest or most dreaded work - or whatever you need to do - but after about sixty or ninety minutes of focused attention, honor your ultradian rhythms and take a break.  Rest.

What do you find relaxing or rejuvenating?  Is there an article you've been wanting to read for fun?  Does your most vivid fantasy involve a nap?  Do you want to spend a few minutes looking at pictures of pretty living rooms on Pinterest?  Perhaps you long to go outside into the great outdoors and let the sun shine on your face.  Just do it.  The only rule is what you do during recess must be restful or playful; it can't be 'instrumental' in any way.  Anything that you have to do anyway (shower, eat lunch) doesn't count, and neither does anything that exists on a to-do list anywhere.
 
Have fun (p. 50)."
 
Question:
What is one fun thing you are willing to commit to do to take a recess at work?
 
 
 
 
From:  Carter, C.; (2015).  The sweet spot: how to find your groove at home and work.  New York: Ballantine Books

 

By: Beth Flynn, Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
Effective leaders typically do the following (among other actions).
  • Have a clear vision for the future
  • Set direction
  • Inspire others to follow them
  • Enable greatness in others
  • Are able to mobilize teams and resources to deliver against that vision
  • Create followership through trust, respect and loyalty, among other things (p. 25-26)."

Question:

What additional items would you add to this list about effective leadership?  
From: Richardson, T. (2015).  The responsible leader: developing a culture of responsibility in an uncertain world.  London:  Kogan Page.
By: Beth Flynn, Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
"Maybe you are the person with that burning passion to do well.  You come in early, are the last to leave, and haven't taken off a day or weekend since you started.  While you'd planned to scale back after you got the promotion or when the project was finished, you never did.  Consequently, it's five or ten or fifteen years later and you are burned out.
 
Face it.  You are a workaholic, or perhaps this sounds like someone you know.  No desire to hang out with friends much less expand your network.  Permanently stressed.  No longer performing at your best.  And it's become a chronic situation.
 
Exhaustion, frustration, lack of energy, and sleep deprivation are all signs that more demands and less resources have gotten the best of you.  In order to overcome the blahs, consider the following advice from Manfred Kets De Vries at INSEAD: take relaxation seriously, cultivate a rich non-work life, and consider unplugging (p. 131)."
 
Question:
 
What advice do you have to overcome the workday blues?
 
From: Willyerd, K.; Mistick, B.; Grenny, J. (2015).  Stretch: how to future-proof yourself for tomorrow's workplace.  Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.