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Leadership Thought #346 – Are You Listening?

May 2, 2012

Most people I know aren’t good listeners. They are more focused on what they think and what they have to say about something rather than actually listening to what’s being said. I have a colleague who states that as a leader you need to “listen until it hurts” and I completely agree with him. It’s basic human nature that the level of satisfaction any of us have with a given conversation is directly related to how well we feel the other party was actually listening to what we had to say. Except when we are in a classroom no one actually enjoys being lectured to or talked at.

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Leadership Thought #299 – Leveraging Other People

February 16, 2012

When in doubt ask good questions and leverage the knowledge and experience of other people. There are few things less attractive about a leader than someone who acts like they know the answer when they don’t. Confidence can be a good attribute but hubris is not. People ultimately see through your words and pick up pretty quickly if you simply make it up as you go along. More importantly, those around you who do have the answers lose respect for you and begin to question everything you say.

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Leadership Thought #221 – Ask Better Questions

September 28, 2011

A weakness I often see in leaders is a belief that their job is to supply all the answers. They tend to dominate discussions and almost always want to have the last word. The problem is that no matter how smart and capable you are, you will always be limited by your own thinking and life experience. In addition, if you create an environment where everyone looks to you for answers, then you will hinder the growth and development of your employees and enable mediocre effort (and commitment).

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    Recommended Reading

  • Life Design Workbook

    Peggy and James Vaughan

    Please click on this link for a Summary of the Life Design Workbook.   The Life Design Workbook is a comprehensive guide that empowers you to take control of your life by making intentional choices that reflect your true values and aspirations. Written by Peggy Vaughan and James Vaughan, Ph.D., this workbook serves as a transformative […]

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  • Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion

    Joseph Campbell - Selected and Edited by Diane K. Osbon

    Listen to Book Review AudioView the Book

    Please click on this link for the Reflections on the Art of Living – A Joseph Campbell Companion Book Summary   “Reflections on the Art of Living” offers a transformative perspective on the human experience. Campbell’s unique blend of scholarly knowledge and practical wisdom provides a framework for understanding personal experiences and finding meaning in […]

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  • Managing Oneself

    Please click on this link for the Managing Oneself Book Summary. We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: with ambition, drive, and talent, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility. Companies today aren’t managing their knowledge workers careers. Instead, you […]

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    Favorite Articles

  • Leading under pressure

    To control the anxiety produced by moments of intense pressure, first step back and analyze the stakes. The secret is to understand that how you perceive the stakes in any given situation can be controlled. “When you get into peak pressure moments, all you can think about is how important [the stakes are], what you […]

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  • McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2024

    Which technology trends matter most for companies in 2024? New analysis by the McKinsey Technology Council highlights the adoption, development, and industry effects of advanced technologies. Despite challenging overall market conditions in 2023, continuing investments in frontier technologies promise substantial future growth in enterprise adoption. Generative AI (gen AI) has been a standout trend since 2022, […]

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  • Kickstart Your New Hire’s Success by Connecting them to the Right People

    As a manager, onboarding a new hire isn’t just about providing manuals and login information, it’s about setting the employee up to operate autonomously in their role and feel comfortable within the organization. To do this, leaders need to emphasize the importance of developing strategic relationships with colleagues across the company who can share critical […]

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    Helpful Websites

  • KPI.org

    KPI.org is an online resource for KPI practitioners sponsored by the Balanced Scorecard Institute (BSI), a Strategy Management Group company. BSI provides consulting, training, and professional certification services to commercial, government, and non-profit organizations worldwide. BSI specializes in helping organizations: Become a high-performance organization Increase focus on strategy and results Improve organizational performance by measuring what matters Align the […]

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  • Center for Creative Leadership

    Ever since our founding in 1970, our mission has been to advance the understanding, practice, and development of leadership for the benefit of society worldwide. Driven to serve with purpose for nearly 6 decades, we’ve shaped the industry and partnered with leaders globally to take on their most pressing challenges. By expanding human potential, we invest […]

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  • McKinsey & Company – 100 Articles on Generative AI

    Since generative AI (gen AI) burst onto the scene in late 2022, it’s captivated business leaders and society at large. The excitement is well deserved: McKinsey research indicates that gen AI could add the equivalent of $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion of value annually—and redefine the way people work and live. Over this period, McKinsey […]

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    Reading Excerpts

  • Principles By Ray Dalio

    Principles Book Summary   Part 1: Chapter 1 Over the course of our lives, we make millions of decisions that are essentially bets, some large and some small. It pays to think about how we make them because they are what ultimately determines the quality of our lives… We are all born with different thinking […]

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  • A Sense of Urgency – John Kotter

    Click on this link for the A Sense of Urgency Book Summary A Sense of Urgency – Book Excerpt (Click on this link for the Word document)   Chapter 1 – It All Starts With A Sense of Urgency …Go check, then you find people running, and they are stressed out. But this man (leader), […]

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  • The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

    Please click mon this link for The Truth About Leadership Book Summary. The Truth About Leadership – Book Excerpts   The Truth About Leadership By James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner Book Excerpts   Introduction – The Ten Truths The first truth is that you make a difference. It is the most fundamental truth […]

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Interested in learning more about leadership?

Ed’s books on Leadership, Life and Business will elevate your knowledge and give you the confidence to apply it to your personal and professional life. 

Reflections on Life and Leading
On Leadership and Business

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