Mike Figliuolo's Blog, page 75

Twelve Characteristics of Great Leaders

In this episode of Innovating Leadership Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, interviews Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS Managing Director, on the twelve characteristics of a great leader. As part of the continuing thought leader series at the Innovating Leadership podcast, Mike will discuss with Maureen his insights and thoughts on the twelve characteristics of great leaders and what makes these characteristics so important. Mike will share some of his personal experiences as well as the work is doing with clients and he will answer the following questions: Are great leaders made or born? You write that many if not most of us are good leaders, but few are truly great. Given that accurate self-analysis is very difficult, how do you know how good of a leader you really are? Of the 12...



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Are You Promoting Responsibility? Are You Sure?

Managing a team comes in many different forms and requires a lot of different skills, check your ego at the door and rethink how you’re promoting responsibility in your organization. Today’s post is by Lonnie Wilson, author of Sustaining Workforce Engagement (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Several weeks ago, I had two experiences that reminded me of the nature of responsibility; and management’s role in promoting and sustaining a responsible workplace. First, a student of mine sent me the following email, “Coach, there is next to no sense of responsibility here.  Nothing happens when dates are missed, goals are ignored, etc…  I may be going bonkers.  Can we talk?”  We talked. Second, I was at the 10 am production meeting of yet another client when Dave, the day shift production...



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How to Build Team Resilience

Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss her thoughts on building team resilience. In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Maureen talks about developing team resilience in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. Maureen previously discussed building personal resilience and so she explains the necessity of this building personal resilience and how this is key, and different, from building resilience as a team. Jim, Jan, and Maureen delve into some of the agreements that need to be made within a team, or group, that allows space for everyone to develop and maintain their own resilience and respect that...



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Rethinking Gen Z and Millennials in the Workplace

Millennials and Gen Z workers are passionate and searching for meaning in their work. It’s time to ditch the lazy and entitled cliches society attributes to these generations. Today’s post is by Heidi Ganahl, author of SheFactor (CLICK HERE to get your copy). News flash: the promising new grad you just hired is already looking for her next job. The numbers don’t lie – Generation Z and Millennial women are only staying at their jobs for an average of 18 months. In comparison, the national average for salaried employees is 4.6 years, according to an Economic News Release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The American workforce has changed dramatically since Millennials came on the scene. This phenomenon has left many of us wondering why the ways we engage, reward, and retain...



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Defining the Factors of Resiliency

Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss her thoughts on resilient leadership. In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Maureen talks about developing and being a resilient leader in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. Maureen defines resiliency, and resilient leadership, in the modern era, why it’s important when leading a team and differentiates resiliency from adaptability. Jim and Jan ask a few questions about the different “area” or “phases” of resiliency and the importance of balancing everything out and Maureen explains how your mindset and thought process...



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The Missing Piece in Leadership: External Mastery and Results

Leaders need both personal mastery and situational awareness to make the right call at the right time.  Six mindsets ensure they grasp their realities to ensure success. Today’s post is by Dr. Mary Lippitt, author of Situational Mindsets (CLICK HERE to get your copy). How would you define leadership? Most people would answer that a leader possesses an effective leadership style, impressive skills, and stellar character. And they would be correct. Yet, those three factors miss an essential component. Leaders must consistently deliver results despite new customer requirements, new technology, changing regulations, and incessant competition. The common leadership definitions overlook the importance of situational realities and goal achievement. Historically, we have focused on internal...



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How prepared is your organization for a sudden crisis?

Our reader poll today asks: How prepared is your organization for a sudden crisis? Extremely: 10.01% Very: 27.81% Somewhat: 36.82% Not very: 17.56% Not at all: 7.80% Crisis management identifies opportunities. It would have been interesting to take this poll a few months ago and see what the responses were. My guess is the “Extremely” and “Very” categories would have scored much higher. We tend to overestimate our capabilities and underestimate the impact of a crisis. The best thing you can do during a crisis, other than dealing with it, is identify where your organization is falling short and fill those gaps either during the crisis or after it passes. The weaknesses exposed in the midst of the chaos are ways you can harden your business and get it ready for the...



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Breaking Down Authenticity

Rob Salafia, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss his thoughts on authenticity. In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Rob gives his insights and thoughts on authenticity in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. Authenticity is a commonly used word in the leadership realm, so Rob breaks down the textbook definition about authenticity and how to use that to your advantage with the different needs of a team and being a leader. Rob further breaks down why exactly people struggle with just being themselves, especially in a work environment, and how it’s tied to being your “best” self, or the best...



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Leadership Through the Lens of Wellbeing

One way to instantly see if your workforce is being effectively managed is to ascertain how they feel about work. Today’s post is by Dr. Ian Hesketh and Sir Cary Cooper, authors of Wellbeing at Work (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Starting with the basics, it is without doubt that the relationship workers have with their immediate line managers is the one that can impact most on their wellbeing. The relationship can be the key to happiness, positivity, commitment, productivity and performance. The good news is that this skill can be developed and honed, resulting in optimum working efficiency. Therefore, it is well worth the investment in your leaders, at all levels. We suggest that at its very basic level leadership can be broken down into just three elements. These are, knowing yourself,...



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Which of the following skills is your team most in need of improving?

Our reader poll today asks: Which of the following skills is your team most in need of improving? Communications: 34.7% Decision-making: 9.0% Problem-solving: 9.7% People leadership: 13.0% Strategic thinking: 19.3% Time management: 14.3% It’s all about the communication. A significant portion of you listed communication as the most critical skill gap on your team. That makes sense. Many other skills like leadership, decision-making and problem-solving require strong communication skills at their foundation. Even skills like time management have roots in communication — how can you delegate or push back on requests if you can’t communicate clearly? Given this demand for communication skills, the question is: What are you doing about building your team’s capabilities...



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