Tag: motivation
Meaning Matters
Earlier this year, Emily Esfahani Smith wrote an article in The Atlantic titled, “There’s More to Life Than Being Happy.” Now, I’m not ready to throw in the towel on my pursuit of happily ever after… but it’s hard not to take note of the frequent mention of ‘meaning’ in articles, books, and other works of thought […]
Should the ‘Ship’ Sail on Leadership Development?
For decades, leadership development has been a significant focus of businesses worldwide. Billions of dollars and millions of hours have been invested in a wide range of activities to build the capacity and effectiveness of those charged with guiding and directing organizations and the people within them. But today, many organizations are implementing a small […]
The Simple Connection Between High School English and Accountability
My daughter is taking an Advanced Placement English Language course this year. That may be why the November 2014 article in The Atlantic Magazine, “Passive Resistance,” captured my attention. The author, Steven Pinker, explores the role and value of the passive tense. (Or, expressed in the passive tense: The role and value of the passive […]
Stop Driving Employees Nuts
This article originally appeared at SmartBlog on Leadership in November 2012. After dedicating a large portion of my professional life to helping leaders develop new skills to improve workplace performance, I’ve come to a startling (and perhaps career-limiting) conclusion: Employee engagement, motivation, and results are less about introducing new leadership behaviors and more about just […]
Want to Kill Young Workers’ Motivation and Drive? Utter These 4 Words
Commencement season is in full bloom. And many organizations are looking forward to an influx of freshly-minted graduates within their ranks. Potential and excitement fill the air. The opportunity to develop, inspire, engage, and grow these new workplace entrants is great. So is the potential to kill their motivation and drive… with just four small […]
Building the Bench
Just as many organizations begin to feel that they’re stabilizing after a long period of economic uncertainty, they may find themselves facing a new and unexpected challenge: deficient management bench strength. According to the American Management Association’s study of nearly 1,000 companies, just 28% of respondents believe that their organizations have sufficient leadership depth. Nearly […]
