As a leader, it’s your job to set the vision and direction for where your team is going, align people, communicate goals and, ultimately, motivate, inspire and empower your team to do their best work. In order to be successful, one of your most important responsibilities is to serve as coach. The word “coach” literally comes from the concept of the horse-drawn carriage and means “to bring a person from where they are to where they want to be.” Most of us have had influential

IQ versus EQ. What’s the difference? Which really matters for professional success? Historically, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the importance of IQ, also known as intelligence quotient, which essentially measures a person’s reasoning ability. While IQ has been found to be responsible for 10-25% of professional success, another attribute has been found to be far more important. EQ, or emotional intelligence, is the ability to sense, understand and effectively apply the

Why do you avoid delegating? Do you dread the time it will take to train others? Do you struggle to trust that your team will meet your standards? Do you assume that the task will resurface on your desk anyway? Are you prone to fill your plate with tasks that are in your comfort zone out of fear of a bigger challenge? Whatever your reason, by not delegating, you are creating several risks for yourself and your team: · Unnecessary stress and burn-out · Lack of contin

Picture a workplace culture where team members feel encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. A place where people feel accepted and respected. A place where they can humbly admit what they do not know, raise concerns, share ideas and try new methods. A place where mistakes and failures are seen as learning opportunities and not merely opportunities for blame or judgment. A place with psychological safety. Amy C. Edmondson is a professor of leadership and management at

Great organizations foster a culture of continuous learning. Our ever-changing business world requires our organizations to demonstrate agility in order to remain relevant. As leaders, we set the tone, model the way and put strategies in place that encourage continuous growth and development. Check out some ideas to foster a culture of continuous learning in your organization: 1. Model the way. Devote time away from the “whirlwind” of your day-to-day operations to reflect on

COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in many of our plans…more than once. In today’s business world, we’re used to a certain level of change. But the current pandemic has made change an even bigger reality—things are literally changing on a daily basis. How have you responded? Every single organization is a reflection of its leadership. What your leadership team communicates, models and reinforces will, ultimately, shape your company culture going forward. Below are a few suggestions

As businesses across the world are quickly shifting to virtual workforces in order to reduce risks associated with COVID-19, we recognize and empathize with the challenges you may be experiencing. We’ve compiled the below list (also offered as a PDF here) to help you navigate managing a remote workforce: 1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Whereas you may be used to bumping into your employees in the hallway or dropping by their desks, managing a remote workforce requi

Change is changing. In the past, change was the exception. Companies would do things in the same way over and over again...until it was determined a major shift was needed. In those cases, those leading the change would "unfreeze" the old state and slowly move everyone over to the new process, system or way of doing business. Once the transition was complete, the business would continue to operate in the new state for the next five, 10 or 15 years. In today’s business world,

You’ve just been promoted to first-time manager. Congrats! It’s an accomplishment that deserves recognition. It’s also one of the most significant shifts you’ll make in your career. Yesterday, your job was to get stuff done. Today, your job is to get stuff done through others. And that takes a completely new skill set than you’ve developed to date. Being an effective leader requires you to do the following: Set vision, direction and strategy Align people Communicate goals Mot