Psychology
Meditation is Mental Fitness Training
Meditation: A powerful mind-enhancing drug that has no side effects and is completely free “Meditate?” The hard-driving, successful COO looked at me askance and replied to my suggestion, “That’s not for me. I’ve tried it; I hated it; I can’t do it.” As a businessperson, if you find something that will improve your organization’s performance,…
Read MoreIt’s Not Lonely at the Top: It’s Overcrowded
Here are some ways to reclaim the space you need My client, Bob, was very pleased with his new position at a large health care organization. It was a “skip” promotion in recognition of his leadership capabilities and his reputation as a nationally recognized expert in his field. Despite the challenges of taking on a…
Read MoreEmpathy Is A Skill, Not A Feeling – The Empathy Equation
It is widely acknowledged that the ability to empathize is the basis for all productive relationships. It goes without saying in personal relationships empathy is the glue that keeps us together. In business empathy is essential for collaboration, inspiration, and innovation. And today we need empathy more than ever as we attempt to bridge the…
Read MoreCourageous Leaders: Are You Champions or Reckless?
Courage is often lauded as one of the most important characteristics a leader can possess. Many say that leadership is impossible without courage. But what happens when that courageousness is not informed by curiosity? You have recklessness. Although the following statement is heretical in most of my circles, I think the mob that attacked the…
Read MoreDifficult Relationships at Work – Don’t Get Caught in the Personality Trap
“He is so difficult – impossible to work with.” “She is so perfectionistic – there is no pleasing her.” “I have two SVPs who simply can’t get along.” “He has such a bad attitude – negative about everything.” “Those folks in IT/Procurement/Contracting [name the department] are just difficult/lazy [name the character defect].” “She undermines every…
Read MoreSuicide Among Execs: Coping with Stress in the C-Suite
The recent, unusual number of suicides by top executives reminds me of how important it is to talk about the dangers of severe stress in the workplace and some steps you can take to manage your own stress. Just consider this (incomplete) list of media coverage: On Tuesday Kate Spade, the founder of fashion line…
Read MoreLeaders and Unethical Behavior….it could happen to you.
How is it that well-regarded, hard-working, ethical people end up doing the dumbest, most unethical things? How is it that the D.C. Schools Chancellor that violated an ethics policy that he wrote less than a year ago was forced to resign? That in front of Congress, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf seemed oblivious to the…
Read MoreCan video conferencing lead to less-productive meetings?
Studies say, yes! Sometimes it’s better to do things the old-fashioned way. And surprisingly, this can be true with teleconferencing. In the case of virtual meetings, when conveying emotion and feelings are important, the addition of video can actually get in the way. Insight: This seems counterintuitive, but according to research published in the October…
Read MoreWhen the boss dates a subordinate, the relationship is never mutual
I was struck by a headline in Monday’s WSJ entitled, Anonymous Email to Visa CEO Led to Top Executive’s Firing. It describes how an email led to an investigation of Jim McCarthy, a senior, high-profile executive at Visa, Inc., who had been involved in romantic relationships with female employees, some of whom worked for him.…
Read MoreSuicide Among Execs: Coping with Stress in the C-Suite
The recent, unusual number of suicides by top executives reminds me of how important it is to talk about the dangers of severe stress in the workplace and some steps you can take to manage your own stress.
Just consider this (incomplete) list of media coverage:
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