Tag Archives: coaching

Good Leaders Aren’t Afraid to Be Nice

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   by Joe Panepinto

It only took me about three seconds to decide what to wear on the first day in my new gig as strategy director at Genuine Interactive, a digital marketing agency (jeans and a wrinkled linen shirt, duh). Deciding what books to take was a bit trickier.

In the end, I decided to bring only one: The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. Sure, the niceness principles in Chapter 1 are great, but what’s most intriguing about the book — especially for a strategy leader — is Chapter 8: Shut Up and Listen. Continue reading →

Smart Leaders Are OK with Seeming Uncertain

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By Don Moore

The expression of confidence is intimately tied up with leadership.  Would-be leaders are careful to present a confident face because it helps gain them credibility and convince others that they know what they are doing.

When George W. Bush faced John Kerry in their first Presidential debate in 2004, Bush criticized Kerry for having vacillated on the war in Iraq.  “I just know how this world works,” Bush declared.  “And in the councils of government, there must be certainty from the U.S. President.”  Even those who may have disagreed with Bush’s policies may nevertheless support this view.  In his profile of President Barack Obama, Michael Lewis put it this way: “After you have made your decision, you need to feign total certainty about it. People being led do not want to think probabilistically.” Continue reading →

How Great Coaches Ask, Listen, and Empathize

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by Ed Batista

Historically, leaders achieved their position by virtue of experience on the job and in-depth knowledge. They were expected to have answers and to readily provide them when employees were unsure about what to do or how to do it. The leader was the person who knew the most, and that was the basis of their authority.

Leaders today still have to understand their business thoroughly, but it’s unrealistic and ill-advised to expect them to have all the answers. Organizations are simply too complex for leaders to govern on that basis. One way for leaders to adjust to this shift is to adopt a new role: that of coach. By using coaching methods and techniques in the right situations, leaders can still be effective without knowing all the answers and without telling employees what to do. Continue reading →

If You Can’t Communicate, You Can’t Lead

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Meet Mark Miller  by Mark Miller

Yes, many factors contribute to the enormity of our task as leaders. I’m just not sure any are more critical or daunting as clear communication. Let’s unpack this a little bit. What are some of the barriers to communication within an organization? Continue reading →

Being Experienced Doesn’t Automatically Make You a Great Mentor

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By Andy Molinsky

 

Coaching and mentoring is more popular than ever — and for good reason. As individuals progress in their jobs and careers, they’re constantly challenged to build their skills and act outside their comfort zones. Timid executives are called upon to learn to deliver motivational speeches; conflict-avoidant managers need to learn to deliver bad news; and mild-mannered job seekers need to pitch and promote themselves at networking events.

And mentoring doesn’t just happen in traditional corporate settings. It also abounds in educational, religious, athletic, and nonprofit worlds as well, where deeply experienced individuals become coaches and mentors to help others with less experience get on the fast track to success. Continue reading →