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  • I Have Terrible News: Value of Communication in Honesty

    When CEOs describe what they want most in people they hire, they consistently talk about honesty and integrity. Among the leadership competencies that we measure, honesty and integrity have consistently received high scores, putting them at the first or second position in comparison to everything else. In general, most leaders are perceived as doing this reasonably well.

    Bosses generally rate their subordinate managers even more highly on honesty and integrity than do the peers and direct reports of those same managers, suggesting that as leaders look at the level below them in the hierarchy, they are comfortable with what they see happening. I recently had an experience that gave me a whole new perspective on this important leadership attribute. It caused me to conclude that we could be doing a great deal better.

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The Power of Asking

Recently I was sharing some data with a group of leaders on the impact of asking for feedback. The data showed an exceptionally strong correlation between asking for feedback and the overall effectiveness of a leader. One of the leaders commented, “I must be a great leader then because I seem to get boat load … Read more

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Does Leadership Development Really Work?

It’s estimated that $60 billion is spent annually by corporate America on learning and development programs. Over 20 percent—about $12 billion—is spent on programs specifically for executives and managers. I frequently hear comments from skeptics who say something like, “People don’t change. We invest all this time and money, and people stay the same.”  These … Read more

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“Tis Better to Receive Than to Give”

We were all taught while we were young that it is better to give than to receive.  After all, giving has great benefits for both the recipient and the giver.  There’s one exception, however, and that has to do with the exchange of feedback between bosses and those who report to them. In this case, … Read more

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Influence and Accountability

Recently a client asked me to speak at their annual meeting about accountability. The groups’ senior leader explained, “We work as a staff group in a highly matrixed organization. Very few people feel they are personally responsible for achieving results.” In researching accountability, I found that there is a very strong correlation with influence. The … Read more

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Forbes Blog: Filling the Talent Pool — With Women

Earlier this week I heard a presentation from a consultant representing one of the large auditing and consulting firms.  He presented research the firm had done with CEOs regarding the issues that were top of their minds.  Clearly revenue growth was one big worrying topic.  The other was talent development.  It sounded like many CEOs … Read more

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The Results Are In: Women Are Better Leaders

Forbes Blog by Erika Andersen- Business Thinker and Author Just read an excerpt of an article from HBR, over at my friend Bob Morris’ blog.  The article, by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, is based on a research study they did of 7,280 leaders in 2011. They looked at leaders in a variety of positions … Read more

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Are Women Better Leaders than Men?

We’ve all heard the claims, the theories, and the speculation about the ways leadership styles vary between women and men. Our latest survey data puts some hard numbers into the mix. Our data come from 360 evaluations, so what they are tracking is the judgment of a leader’s peers, bosses, and direct reports. We ask … Read more

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The Perfect Solution

Have you ever received a gift that you both needed and valued? I remember receiving a wheelbarrow for father’s day some years ago. I needed a wheelbarrow but it seemed like the implied message of this tool was; “Now you have no excuse for not doing the yard work.” This gift was needed but not valued. My wife always wanted a back massage and I could never satisfy the need, so I bought her a massage chair. This gift was both needed and valued and years after I gave the gift I still get thanked.

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What Can Business Learn From Politics?

The following post is a portion of Jack Zenger’s Forbes.com column. Approval ratings of Congress are in the teens.  Big decisions facing our nation are completely avoided.  Urgent decisions are postponed to the last day and the final hour.  Gridlock is a generous description of what is happening in Washington.  Are there any useful lessons … Read more

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Lin-Sanity: A Strengths-based Approach to Basketball

Many of you have heard about Jeremy Lin, the new, young superstar on the New York Knicks.  His rapid rise to stardom has been noticed even outside the world of basketball, due to the inspirational human aspects of his story.  In honor of New York’s most recent megastar, what’s now being called “Lin-Sanity” is seen … Read more

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