The Business Impact of Authentic Leadership

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Anka WittenbergBy: Anka Wittenberg

Workplace diversity is a top goal for companies of all sizes today. Research shows that enterprises which include people of both genders and of multiple generations, cultures and physical abilities increase their productivity, improve the effectiveness of their employee teams and better their bottom line. A more diverse workforce clearly equals rewards.

At the level of the individual, however, less is more. Rather than trying to be “all things” to their employers, people perform better and are more engaged when they focus on being their singular, authentic selves.

When companies also encourage and reward this kind of authenticity and genuineness among their leaders, these leaders, in turn, are more likely to create real value for the organization. Continue reading →

The Importance of Seeing the World in Shades of Grey

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Manfred.jpg by Manfred Kets de Vries

Executives who see the world in stark contrasts miss the nuances of situations and are less able to compromise to meet common interests.

Joan, a senior executive, wasn’t the easiest person to deal with. Although she had many excellent qualities – she was creative, had a great capacity for work and was extremely knowledgeable about the industry – she also had the tendency to engage in drama and in doing so rapidly got on people’s nerves. Joan was rigid in her outlook, had angry outbursts, was manipulative and constantly criticized everything. She seemed to always be involved in some kind of vendetta, forcing people to choose sides. In Joan’s world there was no such thing as a middle ground, her thinking was exclusively black and white. Continue reading →

It’s not always about the money…

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Ellyn Shook, Accenture by Ellyn Shook

 

“What’s important to you?” is a question that cannot be answered in the C-suite.  Management teams need to hear directly from their people about what makes them happy at work. As a CHRO in a talent-led business, dialing up innovation to attract, inspire and retain high performers is a top priority for me. It is about finding that “sweet spot” of skills and specialization to exceed clients’ needs, while providing compelling employee experiences that make your company a top employer of choice. In the war for talent, focusing on the business need is only part of the talent equation. We must find out what our people need — and re-imagine the employee experience accordingly. In a business as large as Accenture, with employees in 56 countries and 200+ cities around the globe, that’s no small feat. Continue reading →

Appointed CEO? Great. Start planning for your exit

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Doce Tomic is president and CEO of Credential Financial, a national wealth management firm owned by Provincial Credit Union Centrals and The CUMIS Group.By Doce Tomic

A common misconception around succession planning is that it signifies the end of a CEO’s tenure. Just as you don’t wait until death is knocking at the door to buy life insurance, you also shouldn’t wait to start planning for your inevitable exit.

Companies are no different than individuals in that they should always be prepared for the unexpected, such as the loss of a key individual – especially the CEO or a member of the executive team. Continue reading →

Overcoming the Toughest Common Coaching Challenges

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by Amy Gallo

Great managers strive to do right by their employees — treat them well, motivate them to succeed, and provide the support and coaching each person needs. This is often easier said than done, especially when it comes to coaching. That’s because coaching takes time, skill, and careful planning. And there are certain types of people who may be particularly challenging for managers to coach. Think about the Eeyore on your team who is pessimistic at every turn, or the person who refuses your advice with a smile on his face. It’s not fair to you or to the employee to give up, so what do you do? Continue reading →