Despite the sticky unemployment numbers, businesses are hiring. See 9/20/11 Blog “The Economic Shift” for a discussion as to some reasons for this dichotomy. Now, back to the point of this post… I am seeing a lot of discussion about the questions to ask in an interview to learn the fit of a potential hire. Two of … Read More
There has been a lot of research over the years about the concept of loss aversion. This research tells us that we as humans are more likely to prefer choices that avoid a loss than those that achieve a gain. Turns out, research also indicates that our personality style drives our loss aversion behavior. As … Read More
After precipitous declines during the prior two quarters, CEO confidence bounced back at year’s end with the largest quarterly gain since the start of the recovery in 2009. The Vistage CEO Confidence Index was 98.8 in the 4th quarter 2011 survey, up from 83.5 in the 3rd quarter, and reaching the highest level since 105.2 … Read More
Years ago, I was sitting on a bench at Union station. An old man sat down next to me and we engaged in conversation. I asked him where he was headed and he replied with glee, “San Francisco!” Wow, I said, that is a long way to go on the train. His reply: “There is … Read More
Good leaders always strive to have butterflies in their stomach, says Kathleen L. Flanagan, president and chief executive of Abt Associates, a $450mm consultancy firm. When we are out of our comfort zone, we have the greatest opportunity for success. It’s when we become complacent and run on auto-pilot that we as leaders are most at … Read More
I’m hoping everyone “pauses” long enough to read this piece… Because, on the surface, this story is about “pauses” in our life. Or is it really about the importance of context? It may be about both. Either way, as leaders, it is worth considering, as we rush through our lives, our product rollouts and our … Read More
The notion that we can constantly make ourselves better, in theory, is a great idea. But when does it become too much? For me, the best way to answer this question is to notice our strengths and work to enhance them. In my Vistage work and as a leadership coach and advisor, I refer to … Read More
This week’s post is in honor of Michael Allosso, whose Vistage talk for CEOs and Key Executives is titled “You on Your Best Day.” Michael teaches us that the difference between a good leader and a great leader is the ability to improvise and gently push people out of their comfort zone. In this TED … Read More
Recently, one of our Vistage speakers, Don Schmincke, spoke to my CEO group on “Discovering The Leader’s Code: Ancient Secrets For Executive Performance.” The primary message Don drives home is the importance of having a positive Leadership Saga – because, in the absence of drama created by the leader, your team will create their own. … Read More
We worship winners—especially those who demonstrate leadership, confront a crisis and prevail. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the hero did not create the crisis in the first place. But what about those who keep crises from erupting at all? Who are the UNSUNG heroes working for you (and helping you avoid the ditch)? … Read More