Category: Leadership
Negative May Be Smart, but Happy is Better
Is happiness boring? It is, according to the “Anna Karenina principle.” Tolstoy’s famous opening line from the book of the same name says that happy families are all alike; unhappy families, on the other hand,... Continue reading
When “Follow the Leader” Is Bad for the Team
Senior executives usually work at having strong relationships with their team members -- but surprisingly often, they don’t focus as strongly on their relationship with their team as a whole. What’s even more curious is... Continue reading
Signs of Socially Intelligent Life: Getting the Best from a Group
Seeking the “wisdom of crowds” is quite popular right now, and I’ve always believed in scanning the room to get the “sense of the group.” I’m also a big proponent of the value of teamwork... Continue readingOscars Smackdown: Franco Gave Up an Arm, But Hathaway Was All Heart
Randy Newman pointed it out: The producers of this year’s Academy Awards show instructed the presenters and nominees about the behavior necessary to ensure a “good television” experience for the viewers, but once the award... Continue readingTomlin’s Touchdown: Leadership as Standard Business
Since the Super Bowl I’ve been thinking a lot about Coach Mike Tomlin. Football is not my sport (people knocking each other down on purpose?!?), so I’ve never been that interested in the Super Bowl,... Continue readingWould Life Be Better as an App with Funny Noises?
When she was an adolescent, I watched my daughter play an app game that includes candy on a rope, spikes, an open-mouthed frog, little spidery things, and flatulence noises. I was struck by how intensely... Continue readingWhy Should I Listen to You?
In response to my short series The Listening Post, multiple readers wanted to know why they should bother to listen to someone who demonstrates poor listening techniques themselves. Why should I listen to someone who... Continue reading
Q&A About Talking Side by Side
How to Get Your Point Across Without Poking a Hole in Anyone, must have struck a nerve. Readers emailed me more questions: Q: What if you prefer to talk face to face because you can... Continue reading