Offers insights for helping us deal with change
I’ve been studying change leadership for over 25 years, but only recently have researchers been able to use technology like functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) to look at the brain and see what actually happens when we’re facing a major organizational change. For example, most of our daily activities, including many of our work habits,…
With grit, there’s no telling how far you can go
Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, once said, “Let me tell you the secret that has led to achieving my goals: My strength lies solely in my tenacity.” Pasteur would have approved of Grit to Great by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin…
A holiday get-together can quickly turn into a career-limiting event
The holiday office party offers a great opportunity to socialize with co-workers, meet new people, and develop or deepen relationships. However, a holiday get-together can also quickly turn into a career-limiting event unless you understand the do's and don'ts of appropriate behaviour. The desire to relax and have fun can be a highly anticipated, positive antidote…
7 body language tips for making a positive first impression
Two seconds – 30 seconds, tops – that’s all the time it takes to assess your confidence, competence, status, likeability, warmth, and trustworthiness. That’s how much time you have to make a first impression. In fact, it’s impossible for us not to make these snap judgments about one another. Human beings are wired that way.…
Change leaders need to ask themselves some difficult questions before they set out to "shake things up"
A few years ago I read a news story about an executive who had been hired to turn around the fortunes of a business that was on the rocks. The product was bad. Morale was awful. Management appeared to be confused about what to do. And customers were staying away in droves. Clearly, this fellow…
Leadership depends entirely on how other people in the workplace evaluate you
Leadership presence, that illusive but “we know it when we see it” quality, is a blending of personal and interpersonal skills which, when combined, send all the right signals. It’s how you show up, how you make others feel, and how effectively you communicate both verbally and non-verbally. It’s the “wow” factor that sets you…
While not foolproof, these tips are strong indicators of possible deception
Here are my tips to help in spotting liars at work. 1. Begin with a baseline Spotting liars begins with observing a person’s baseline behaviour under relaxed or generally stress-free conditions so that you can detect meaningful deviations. One of the strategies experienced interviewers use is to ask a series of simple questions while observing…
A positive personal "curb appeal" leads to more success in your career
I've learned a few things about selling a house. I know, for instance, that much depends on timing (economic timing as well as the time of year you put the house on the market), and of course the mantra "location, location, location" is still paramount. I've also found out that a property needs "curb appeal."…
If the words don't match the body language, watch out
Your boss is giving advice about dealing with representatives of another company. 'I want to finesse them on this deal,' he says. But as he speaks, he pounds his fist on the desk. You hear what the manager says, but you also see his aggressive gesture. You leave the meeting confused about what the manager…
An organizational strategy for reducing lies and increasing candour at work
Lies in the workplace are expensive. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, a typical organization loses five per cent of its revenue to fraud – a potential global loss of $3.5 trillion. But the cost of out-and-out fraud pales in comparison to the monumental cost of the erosion of trust that occurs when…
And gain significant advantages on how you deal with people
Humans are genetically programmed to look for facial and behavioural cues and to quickly understand their meaning. We see someone gesture and automatically make a judgment about the intention of that gesture. And we've been doing this for a long time. As a species, we knew how to win friends and influence people – or…
Charismatic leaders are perceived to be confident, upbeat and inspirational
In business dealings, charisma counts. A lot. And charisma is as much about impressions and body language as it is about issues and substance. I've seen many qualified people get passed over for promotion (or lose a sale or fail an interview) simply because they couldn’t project an engaging attitude. Max Weber, the father of…
Your leadership ability depends entirely on how others evaluate you
You may have a leadership title or tremendous leadership potential, but that in itself doesn’t give you leadership presence. Here are typical comments I hear when asked to coach an up-and-coming female whose career has stalled: “It isn’t that she couldn’t do the next job. It’s that no one on the executive team sees her…
To groom women for top positions, offer them the coaching, mentoring, and career opportunities that develop leadership potential
As a speaker at business conferences, I've addressed organizations around the world, and I've seen the genuine commitment that many companies have made to develop the leadership abilities of female employees and to create workplace environments with family-friendly policies and flexible work arrangements – all in hopes of attracting, retaining and grooming women for top…
When asked if it was ever okay to lie at work, most people said 'yes!', but only under certain circumstances
We tell all sorts of lies at work. We flatter, exaggerate, omit, and mislead – primarily to avoid punishment, make ourselves look better, control information, or protect others. Some of our workplaces lies trigger feelings of anxiety, guilt, or remorse. But there are other lies that many of us feel justified in telling. As background…