A Monster of a Problem: How to Help Leaders Be More Inspiring
In 1818 novelist Mary Shelley penned a novel that would go on to become a classic. In her novel Shelley writes about a mad scientist who, in his attempt at scientific brilliance, recreates life. However, in doing so, the scientist inadvertently creates a monster that ultimately turns bitter and sets out to wreak havoc on … Continue reading
Are YOU an Inspiring Leader?
I just returned from a visit to the Pacific Northwest. Our destination was Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. I have a sister there who lives on a lovely boat and we had a “sister’s retreat” with a third sister and niece joining us. This was a very beautiful and inspiring time and place. … Continue reading
Stories vs. Data: Which One is More Effective?
One important job we have as leaders is to persuade others to take action. That’s not always an easy task, since those actions can often be difficult, challenging, and uncomfortable. I recall being a newly commissioned, 22-year old lieutenant in my initial Army troop assignment. It was my job to lead soldiers who, in some … Continue reading
A New and Clever Way to Make an Emotional Connection: Don’t Pick Up Your Smartphone
One of the things we know from the studies we’ve done on inspiring leaders is that they are able to develop strong emotional connections with those they lead. We see them do that in a variety of ways. One of the most important is to show concern and consideration; it’s an effective way to let … Continue reading
10 Ways to Pull, Rather than Push, for Results
There are two very different ways to achieve results. The most common approach used by leaders to achieve results is characterized by the competency “Drive for Results.” Leaders who drive for results might be describes as follows: Does everything possible to achieve a goal or objective. Is able to achieve goals and objective on time … Continue reading
Inspiration vs. Empty Cheerleading: The One Word That Makes All the Difference
We’ve all been in situations where we’re facing a difficult task or tight deadline and a well-intentioned manager or colleague says something like the following: “You can do this.” “I’m sure you’ll be great.” “I’m confident you can do the job.” “You’ll get through this.” “Don’t worry, I know you’ll do just fine.” When we … Continue reading
38 Ways Leaders Harness the Power of Emotion
An excerpt from this month’s featured whitepaper, 38 Ways Leaders Harness the Power of Emotion by Jack Zenger. Through the use of a statistical technique called “discriminate analysis” we were able to discover several different categories of ways leaders make an emotional impact on their colleagues. We have organized our suggested ways for a leader … Continue reading
4 Steps to Better Your Boss-Employee Relationship
Recently I was chatting with a colleague about strangers, acquaintances, and friends. For me, it’s incredibly easy to talk about pretty much anything with either a complete stranger or a really great friend. It’s talking with acquaintances where the conversation gets awkward or superficial. When two acquaintances meet, by chance, in the company breakroom, a … Continue reading
The Leadership Ceiling: How Leaders Can Build Up or Bring Down an Organization
The Leadership Ceiling The probability is high that a leader will be less effective than their boss. There are exceptions to this rule, but the trend is very clear. In a study of 5,285 leaders from 5 different organizations, we examined the effectiveness of leaders at different levels of the organization. The measure of leadership … Continue reading
How to Inspire Employee Innovation without Stifling Bonuses
One of the great mixed messages of modern business is the cry for more innovation from employees, accompanied by policies and cultures that systematically squash it. Here is an example of a typical conversation I’ve experienced with managers who are concerned about their teams lack of innovation. Manager: “What can we do to help our employees be … Continue reading
zengerfolkman.wordpress.com 