People are far more likely to endure hardship if they feel like they’re getting something out of it. We endure the soreness from a tough workout … Read more
Why Do Reorganizations Often Fail?
The answer to this article’s title rests on a variety of complex reasons, but one factor that is frequently undervalued and dismissed is mindset. Let’s … Read more
Ambition Is Overrated
It took nearly my entire adult life, but I’ve finally become fashionable. Suddenly, it’s cool not to be career-focused. I’m proud to say I was ahead of the … Read more
The Reason Behind the Great Resignation That No One Is Talking About
Record-high quit rates have business leaders freaking out about The Great Resignation. The phrase itself has become a trending tagline, just like “the war … Read more
If Your L&D Efforts Focus on Skills, You May Have a Problem
If you’ve ever led a cross-functional team at work, chances are you can commiserate with the following scenario: Susana is the leader of a highly … Read more
Executives Like a Different Style of Leadership Than Everyone Else (and It’s Causing Problems)
What’s your ideal style of leader? Someone who’s driven, competitive, and enjoys smashing through obstacles? Or someone who prizes interpersonal harmony? … Read more
Stuck in the Middle: The Plight of Average Performers
A critical skill for any leader is taking a middle performer and — through coaching, mentoring, development, etc. — transforming them into a high … Read more
Are You Actually Willing to Empower Your Employees?
Empowerment is one of those buzzwords that achieves near-universal plaudits. Of course, leaders want to empower their people. What kind of monster … Read more
Should White People Do DEI Work?
“I just can’t even, anymore” he sighed, exasperated. “My patience for well-meaning white people has run out. We’re supposed to congratulate white folks for … Read more
Your Change Efforts Will Likely Fail If You Can’t Answer This Question
It’s a truism that leading change is hard, but the risks of mismanaging change are even more severe than most executives realize. In the Leadership IQ … Read more
Inspirational Leadership Doesn’t Matter If You Don’t Fix This Issue
Virtually every leader wants to be inspiring, to motivate, coach, and stir employees’ passions to achieve breakthrough performance. It’s therefore no … Read more
The Problems of Digital Body Language
About two years ago, I started hearing one story after the next, all centering on the same theme: miscommunication. I’d been giving keynote speeches and … Read more
You’re Misusing the Phrase “Disengaged Employees”
Far too many executives throw around the phrase “disengaged employees” without thinking about what it means, or worse, using an incoherent … Read more
Inclusion Is Not Someone Else’s Responsibility
Meet Mark Benton. Mark is vice president of talent management and development at the healthcare giant McKesson. As a Black man, Mark has a valuable … Read more
The Trap of Forced Inclusion
For 20 years, I was married to someone who struggled with depression, despite years of therapy and in-patient care at psychiatric hospitals. At one point … Read more
The Over-Engineering of Leadership Development
Today, if you make the case that people leaders are the critical focus for organizational success, you will meet with little resistance. This represents a … Read more
What Leadership Looks Like Today
Less than 1 in 5 businesses say existing leaders are “very effective” at meeting business goals. What’s more, 84% of companies predict a shortfall of … Read more
The Next Big Challenge for Training Leaders Is Anxiety
Given the suddenness and severity of the pandemic’s onset, a great many learning and development leaders have performed admirably. From transitioning … Read more
4 Ways to Improve Cross-Functional Communication
The weather forecaster issues a tornado warning, so you get out your new flashlight to make sure it’s working in case the electricity goes out. It’s not. … Read more
These Questions Are Ruining Your Employee Engagement Survey
The purpose of an employee engagement survey is to increase employee engagement. The purpose is not to idly measure, satisfy executives’ curiosity, or … Read more