How to Spend the First 10 Minutes of Your Day

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80-Ron-Friedmanby Ron Friedman

If you’re working in the kitchen of Anthony Bourdain, legendary chef of Brasserie Les Halles, best-selling author, and famed television personality, you don’t dare so much as boil hot water without attending to a ritual that’s essential for any self-respecting chef: mise-en-place.

The “Meez,” as professionals call it, translates into “everything in its place.” In practice, it involves studying a recipe, thinking through the tools and equipment you will need, and assembling the ingredients in the right proportion before you begin. It is the planning phase of every meal—the moment when chefs evaluate the totality of what they are trying to achieve and create an action plan for the meal ahead. Continue reading →

Employees Who Feel Love Perform Better

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by Sigal Barsade and Olivia (Mandy) O’Neill

“Love” is a not word you often hear uttered in office hallways or conference rooms. And yet, it has a strong influence on workplace outcomes. The more love co-workers feel at work, the more engaged they are. (Note: Here we’re talking about “companionate love” which is far less intense than romantic love. Companionate love is based on warmth, affection, and connection rather than passion). It may not be surprising that those who perceive greater affection and caring from their colleagues perform better, but few managers focus on building an emotional culture. That’s a mistake. Continue reading →

Executive Presence: The X Factor In Leadership

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Suzanne-Bates-101-copyby Suzanne Bates and David Casullo

As every CEO knows, there is an X factor in leadership that is hard to nail down but essential to successful management.

We’ll start with a case example. Steve, the CEO of a company we’ll call ICON, wondered whether the leader of one of ICON’s businesses had that X factor necessary to lead a key strategic initiative for her business, Logistical Systems Advisors (LSA).

The board of directors and executive team had set a new course for LSA to grow by acquisition, and though Jane, the business president, was delivering results, her style chafed some members of the company. Smart, focused and results-driven, Jane’s style had improved product performance and client responsiveness. However, Steve also thought her style might not be collaborative and inclusive enough to ensure successful integrations. Continue reading →

If You’re Always Giving Orders, You’re Not a Great Leader

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by Jessica Stillman

The best leaders spend five times more time teaching with questions than telling people what to do. What’s your ratio?

Think about a leader and chances are your first image is of someone giving orders — maybe it’s the quarterback in a huddle outlining the next play for his teammates, maybe it’s an army officer coolly  barking commands in the heat of combat. But chances are, when many of us think of leadership, we picture a person telling others what to do. Continue reading →

What CEOs Can Learn From College Students (Yes, Seriously)

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by Kurt Hanke

It’s the season of college graduations and their attendant commencement speeches–a time of hopes and dreams, of carpe diems and fare thee wells.

This past year, I had the good fortune of spending some time with a handful of incredibly thoughtful college students. And as I watch another sea of caps and gowns enter the workplace, I can’t help reflecting on a spirit that I observed within each of them that left me inspired, refreshed, and reinvigorated. Continue reading →