The Three C’s Of Leadership

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by Greg Henderson

If you Google the word leadership, you’ll probably get billions of results. Leadership has become an overused buzzword that we no longer know the true meaning of, much less how to ensure we have it in our organization. Leadership is such a popular topic that practically every leadership website, podcast and article has created its own set of traits for a great leader.

One website might say that you must possess 10 essential qualities, ranging from integrity to agility to being a decisive leader. Another site might say there are only five must-have leadership characteristics, and if you are a strategic thinker and innovator, you will be an effective leader. Yet another source could list a completely different set of traits than all the others.

What are you supposed to do? Who’s right — or mostly, right? Or better yet, who is flat-out wrong?

Experts agree that genuine leaders need specific, identifiable attributes for success. In my experience, where they fail is their inability to identify that it’s the leadership mindset that is the most fundamental quality of all. Continue reading →

4 leadership trends to watch in 2022

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BY DAVID ROCK

This summer I embarked on my first proper vacation in years. Despite full vaccinations and being diligently masked, within 24 hours of flying I somehow got COVID-19 and was out of action for weeks. My much-needed vacation became something else entirely.

Every week CEOs ask me about the relentlessness of this uncertainty, of how to make hybrid work environments more productive and take better care of their employees. I wish I had a better answer than the one I have been saying since March 2020: Stop hoping this will be over soon, and instead activate what’s known as the Stockdale Paradox. In short, accept that things are really difficult, and will likely stay this way for a long time, but that eventually, things will get better. And in the meantime, focus on making things better that are in your control.

This overarching mindset was just as relevant at the start of the pandemic, when we all went into psychological shock, as it was during the long, painful stage of lockdown, and just as relevant now as we start to move into a rehabilitation phase. Thinking like this is important for staying focused, present, and productive. We need to let go of trying to create a false sense of certainty.

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Seven Ways to Put Procrastination Behind You

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by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

 

Don’t chalk it up to a lack of motivation.

Victor’s subordinates were pushing him to make up his mind about a proposed major acquisition. He knew the clock was ticking, but he was worried about the downside. What if the promised synergies didn’t materialise? What if they bought a cat in the sack? The pressure was wearing him down. He felt low and exhausted.

Victor was reluctant to admit it to himself, but he always had the tendency to put off difficult tasks and decisions. Overthinking and procrastination were his modus operandi. He excelled at finding distractions and reasons to keep looking for more information.

Although procrastination can offer relief from unpleasant tasks, the relief is only ever temporary. Putting off dealing with something only makes matters worse, as the Victors of this world usually find out the hard way. And there are many of them: In the United States, an estimated 20 percent of men and women are chronic procrastinators.

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How To Be Productive—And Preserve Your Sanity—If You’re Part Of The Hybrid Workforce

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by William Arruda

Remote work was already on the rise prior to the arrival of COVID-19.

In fact, a study from Pew Research Center found that 20% of Americans who could perform their jobs somewhere other than the office were choosing to do so before 2020. When the global health crisis struck, however, that percentage skyrocketed to 71%, as most employees had no choice but to stay home.

With our new understanding of the virus and many organizations attempting to transition to a new way of working—one where both in-person and remote work are encouraged—we have more freedom than ever to choose the workplace model we want to be a part of. But, as always, with freedom comes responsibility.

There’s no going back

The majority of employees who worked remotely during the pandemic (89%) say they want to continue with remote work at least some of the time. And the number of Americans who have left the workforce altogether in recent months suggests these workers won’t take no for an answer. Many employers understand this and have adopted a hybrid model (which could comprise virtually any combination of remote and on-site work schedules) as a permanent policy moving forward. Up to 75% of firms have indicated they won’t be going back to a fully on-site approach. That includes massive companies such as Salesforce, Target, Citigroup, Ford, and many others across a wide range of sectors. Continue reading →