Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Tag: leadership

  • Can Leadership Be Moral?

    insightful-linkThe economic crisis in this country is not simply a result of financial assumptions gone awry.

    Decisions were made that had no connection to the benefit of anything or anyone other than the achievement of short term financial results. No connection whatsoever.

    DangerCompanies were purchased for their intangible brand value, their assets sold, loaded up with debt, long term employees fired, and resold at a premium re-presented as restructured for success. In reality they were stripped bare and abandoned before the operational implications of high debt and high turnover set in.

    All that to say you should read Mike King‘s recent article entitled, “Do You Demonstrate Moral Leadership?” It’s both insightful and practical.

    Is your team in conversation about your standards?

    If we’re going to reap the benefits of democratic capitalism, then we need to get more voices in the conversation than just the greediest, most driven and most ruthless of us.

    What do you think?

  • Question of the Week

    Who have you been overlooking as a valuable source of feedback?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.

  • Thought Leaders Unpacked -> Integrity #6: Building Trust Through Vulnerability

    thought-leadersLeaders are people too.

    Sounds obvious, but many of us come across as if we have it all together, know everything and are always more competent that everyone who is unfortunate enough to be below us on the organizational chart.

    But that facade has two problems. One is that it is, in fact, not true. The other is that everyone who works for you knows it.

    Integrity, by Henry Cloud

    Being too strong is as much a credibility destroyer as being too weak.

    What do you think about Cloud’s assertion this week? Is there power in being real?

    His main example, though effective, came from childhood. I would have appreciated something from the workplace. I’m already a believer in vulnerable leadership models, but only up to a point.

    There’s a risk in undermining one’s effectiveness with “too much information” sorts of personal revelation. Knowing what’s appropriate and relevant to share about oneself is key to vulnerability serving as a trust builder rather than a trust buster.

    Vulnerability is a risk worth taking. Remember, the goal is for your team to come alive and voluntarily choose to invest deeply and energetically in their work. You cannot command or force that sort of effort.

    Cloud is pointing out that when people believe that you can relate to their challenges, they will be far more responsive to how you challenge them.

    Have you ever had a supervisor for whom you would try to move mountains if you could? What were characteristics of that person that we might learn from?

    Each Friday I post my reflections from one chapter of Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality by Henry Cloud. If you are just joining the discussion now, welcome! Catch up on the entire series here.

  • Question of the Week

    When do you find time to pause and reflect on the effectiveness of your leadership style?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.

  • Question of the Week

    What leadership skills do you model when problems arise?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.

  • Study Shows Personal Net Surfing Increases Work Productivity

    insightful-linkI love it when data emerges that validates my hunches.

    People who surf the internet while at work are more productive. Gotta love it.

    “People who do surf the Internet for fun at work – within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total time in the office – are more productive by about 9% than those who don’t.”

    The productivity arises from our need to zone out (take a break) every once in a while in order to restore our concentration. It’s simply not possible to focus all of the time.

    Seems obvious, but some employers are (now irrationally) concerned that they’re not getting their money’s worth out of employees who are not fully focused on work every moment they’re “on the clock.” I’ve long counseled that this attitude foments an adversarial posture with the very people on whom you depend for maximum engagement.

    With one set of policies (e.g. no personal internet use) you communicate that you don’t trust them. Then you turn around and ask them to give 110%, go the extra mile for a client or contribute to brainstorming restructuring ideas, and you wonder why they hold back.

    No matter how you feel about personal internet usage at work, the facts about its impact are emerging. Can you turn this information into a learning opportunity?

    Click here for the University of Melbourne article.

  • Loving Monday: Who Brought The Donuts?

    loving_mondayOkay, maybe donuts aren’t the healthiest treat someone could bring into the office this morning. But talk about easy wins!

    If you’re looking for a low cost , low energy idea to give the team a simple morale boost, then donuts are the management secret you’ve been waiting for.

    It’s hard to explain why this one treat’s impact is so out of proportion with either the effort required to provide it or its nutritional value. But it’s hard to argue with the stampede to the lunch room when word gets out.

    Maybe the lesson donuts offer us is that showing appreciation, being kind, and/or changing things up at work is much simpler than we think. If you’re waiting until it’s time to award Christmas bonuses or until you can afford a knock-out company retreat, then you might be missing the myriad of simple, everyday expressions of acknowledgment, validation, attentiveness, interest, humor, sensitivity, and camaraderie that win hearts, build trust and renew spirits.

    While you’re at it, get a few extra glazed. They’re my favorite.

  • Question of the Week

    Who would benefit from you verbalizing your appreciation today?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.

  • Question of the Week

    How might you be a part of that problem that won’t go away?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.

  • Quote to Consider: Leaders Are About Everyone Else

    Great leaders are obsessed with recognizing, resourcing and advancing the ideas of others in the organization, not their own.

    How do you go about…

    • Recognizing
    • Resourcing
    • Advancing

    the ideas of others?

    Pick one and let us know what you do.

    If you feel stuck in a “control others to enact your own ideas” model of leadership, let’s talk. There’s an exhilarating world of enterprising teams, engaged employees and explosive creativity waiting to be unleashed in your firm.