By Tony Golsby-Smith and Roger L. Martin, hbr.org The Problem The big-data revolution has reinforced the belief that all business decisions should be reached through scientific analysis. But this approach has its limits, and it tends to narrow strategic options and hinder innovation. Why It Happens The scientific method is designed to understand natural phenomena that cannot be […]
Build Your Company Culture Through Values, Not Things
By Ilya Pozin, www.inc.com Surface-level perks like free Starbucks, company box seats, and ping-pong tables in the break room don’t help you build a sustainable company culture. While they provide temporary morale boosts, truly great company culture requires more substance to attract and retain talent. Company culture is a combination of values, the shared goals you work toward, and the […]
The Most Important Decision Every Leader Must Make
By Randy Conley, leadingwithtrust.com Decisions, decisions, decisions. Leaders are faced with myriad decisions in any given day, week, month, or year. Questions such as these fill our days: What’s the right strategy for our organization? What are my most important priorities? Who is the right person for this job? How much time do we allocate to this project? How […]
Are You A Giver or A Taker?
n every workplace, there are three basic kinds of people: givers, takers and matchers. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant breaks down these personalities and offers simple strategies to promote a culture of generosity and keep self-serving employees from taking more than their share.
Positive Psychology and Elite Sports Performance
Psychology Today Nearly 10 years ago, I advanced the argument that positive psychologyhas a “natural home” in the military.[i] At the time, I had just finished a year as president of the Society for Military Psychology, Division 19 of the American Psychological Association, and had framed my presidency around the idea that positive psychology — with […]
How to Be an Inspiring Leader
By Eric Garton, hbr.org When employees aren’t just engaged, but inspired, that’s when organizations see real breakthroughs. Inspired employees are themselves far more productive and, in turn, inspire those around them to strive for greater heights. Our research shows that while anyone can become an inspiring leader (they’re made, not born), in most companies, there are far too few of […]
The Vital Role Of Positive Feedback As A Leadership Strength
By Jack Zenger, www.forbes.com The Manager’s Perspective I am about to show you that most managers have some mistaken beliefs about the best kind of feedback to give their subordinates. In survey we shared on Harvard Business Review of 7,631 managers, my colleague Joe Folkman and I asked whether they believed that giving negative feedback was stressful or difficult […]
Let’s Align Habits To Organizational Values
By Adam Fridman, www.inc.com Companies spend a lot of time and energy developing statements of purpose and values for their people to live by. Yet often these efforts don’t bring about any change in behaviors. It’s little wonder: a recent Gallup poll indicates that only 27% of employees believed in their employer’s stated values. Even fewer know how to […]