How do others experience you as a leader? According to psychologist Kathryn Cramer, every leader has a “signature presence,” a set of leadership assets that are as unique as your handwritten signature. Just as your autograph telegraphs who you are, so, too, do the daily actions that comprise your leadership presence. Think about your signature…
How to Develop Your Trusted Inner Circle
The other day I picked up a copy of Trust Rules: How to Tell the Good Guys from the Bad Guys in Work and Life from the library. “Good guys” and “bad guys” seemed a bit stark in its philosophy, but admittedly, the title caught my eye. So I checked it out and read it. I’m…
How to Foster Creativity, Communication and Connection with Your Team
Would an executive at your company set up shop in the middle of the IT help desk, hang a gutted fish over his desk and declare, “The doctor is in?” In effect, that’s what Paul Bennett, chief creative officer at IDEO, has done, and he claims it’s helped him foster creativity in a way he…
29 Ways Leaders Can Inspire and Motivate People
What are the best ways to inspire and motivate people? That’s what’s up for discussion for the August Leadership Development Carnival. The carnival, typically hosted by Dan McCarthy of the blog Great Leadership, sometimes takes a road trip and this month it arrives at its temporary home, hosted by Shawn Murphy (@shawmu on Twitter) at…
Living Up to the Promise of a Leadership Title
Are the leaders in your organization living up to their titles? Yes, yes, I know. The organizational title is a dinosaur. But the reality is that very few organizations have learned to operate without the hierarchy. So, for those companies that still rely on titles, most employees have expectations about how people in senior management…