Conflict isn’t going away. If people look to you for comment, opinion, decision and ultimately action, regardless your intent and desire for a better present, the stuff of disagreements will remain. It isn’t a reflection upon your ability or integrity but the confluence of people and the competition of values.
Read MoreIf you lead from a foundation of values shared by your members, if you emphasize team building, if you involve your group when making decisions, if you support those who work with you and aren’t status or class-conscious or independent and individualistic then it’s likely you could lead in any social or organizational culture.
Read MoreI talked with a leader who was in the quandary of feeling she wanted to do one thing but thinking she should do something else. In essence, her head and heart weren’t in agreement. She knew what convention expected of her, even what the demands were that she placed upon herself but meeting those expectations wasn’t satisfying her emotionally.
Read MoreFor those of us who see ourselves as leaders we need to know that people certify our leadership based in their mental images of what a leader is. Another way of saying it is that we’re leaders because people think we are. Perceptions do count.
Read MoreWhile celebration within our organizations doesn’t mean we’re responsible for everyone’s happiness, still, happiness is core to the idea—we don’t celebrate very well when we’re sad. If happiness in the workplace—or in the volunteer organization, the serving place – is key to celebration, how is it attained?
Read MoreIf you’re experiencing a decrease in energy, motivation, and commitment because your expectations of achievement are unmet despite devotion to a cause or way of life, then you may be in burnout. Here’s three ways to tell: you are 1) chronically exhausted, and/or 2) cynical and detached from your work, and/or 3) increasingly ineffective on the job.
Read MoreIf you’ve been around leadership for any amount of time then you already know the importance of vision. People must have a sense of direction and it’s the leader’s job to come up with it. Right? Not all would agree. In fact, some see this proposition as being the myths within vision.
Read MoreThe Occupy Movement’s rapid growth could be thought of as having “tapped” a political narrative in American society. In this light they grew because everyone who shared a similar ideology joined in the cause. While this could be the reason for their expansion the failure to achieve widespread acceptance, even to having many city governments restrict their ability, argues that the key to their growth wasn’t ideology but something else.
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