Mike Figliuolo's Blog, page 81

Keys To Effective Negotiation

Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS’ Managing Director, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss Negotiation. In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Mike, breaks down some of the basics of negotiation in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. Jim, Jan, and Mike talk about the bi-partisan frustration that is inherent with real negotiation and breakdown why negotiation is an important part of teams and being an effective leader, no matter where you are in your career. Mike discusses some of the thought process around approaching negotiations and the necessity to change your tactics depending on the party on the other side of the discussion. Stay...



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Today’s Successful Leader Values Data, but Is Not Driven by It

Though data is an important part of every organization, not accounting for people when you make decisions and relying strictly on data is not the way. Today’s post is by Sara Canaday, author of Leadership Unchained (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Every day we generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data. This information has led to some tremendous breakthroughs with the potential to improve thousands of lives. As leaders, we also have mountains of data available to us—honestly, more than we can assimilate or make sense of. Yet huge decisions are made every day based solely on the numbers. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love numbers! But, in my years working with many leaders, I’ve seen too many of them make unwarranted or uninformed decisions because they have over-relied on data. Anecdotal evidence...



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How many professional reading books do you read in a year?

Our reader poll today asks: How many professional reading books do you read in a year? None. I read other forms of content (blogs, magazines, journals): 39% A few: 1-4: 33% Several: 5-9: 13% Many: 15 or more: 5% A lot: 10-14: 5% I don’t really do any professional reading: 4% Short form doesn’t beat bookworms. Clearly a large portion (39%) of you eschew books in favor of short-form content. That’s a sign of the times for busy professionals. That said, a healthy portion (56%) of you are still hunkering down with a good business book on a regular basis. For those who aren’t reading books, I encourage you to pick up the habit. Short-form content is great but isn’t lasting. Books are more comprehensive in their thinking and can more fundamentally alter the way you look at the world...



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Developing Your Executive Presence

Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS’ Managing Director, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss executive presence. thoughtLEADERS is proud to announce a new initiative with The Leadership Podcast to provide very short podcasts called “chalk talks.” They’re a bitesize session on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. In this session, Mike breaks down some of the nuance that comes along with creating and growing your executive presence. Jim, Jan, and Mike talk about the balance between “swagger” and maintaining a sense of humility in working with individuals. Their discussion breaks down the barriers that can come up with leaders who may not fully understand what exactly they are trying to convey. Mike covers a few important rules to remember as a...



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Technology Induced Attention Deficit Disorder

Technology has been an integral part of our lives for years now, but what happens when technology starts to make doing work even more difficult. Today’s post is by Dr. Brian Smith, author of Individual Advantages (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Patience is waning in all aspects of human interaction; impatience is being felt throughout the whole of society. Society today—today being defined as the late 1980s to the present—has undergone a rapid evolution in information collection, manipulation, storage, and presentation. Life has been transformed into an environment where information is readily available on demand. As technology has become the focal point for most of the developed world, costs for said technology have decreased rapidly—making them more readily available for people of all...



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Leadership and Change: Why Resilience is the Key to Success

Resilience is key to success for leaders. Resilience is a source of energy to move forward and make an impact. Five strategies can develop your resilience. Today’s post is by Beth Kennedy, author of Career ReCharge (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Several years ago, the company for which I was providing career consulting was purchased by another company. The merger resulted in an unusual circumstance for me—coaching fifteen leaders in the same organization as they transitioned to a different culture and new systems. I observed over the next twelve months that the resilient leaders were able to acknowledge the uncertainty and stress, then continue to develop their careers in the direction they wanted. Other individuals, lacking resilience, focused on the doom and gloom of the merger, which...



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When is the last time you took a vacation?

Our reader poll today asks: When is the last time you took a vacation? Last week: 14% Last month: 30% Last quarter: 18% 6 months ago: 14% Vacation? What’s that?: 24% Time to take a break. The 24% of you who can’t recall your last vacation are at risk for a lot of issues. Burnout, job dissatisfaction, family stress, and physical issues can all result from working too long without a break. The excuse of “I don’t have time because I have too much to do” doesn’t hold water. You have to make the time. A vacation doesn’t have to be long or expensive either. Just staying home for a few days and reconnecting with family, resting and taking some weight off your mind can work wonders. Travel can be stressful and expensive, so if you are taking a vacation requiring a trip, be sure you’re not...



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A Simple Way to Guide a Complex Topic: Culture

Creating company culture is the basis of every good organization. Today’s post is by Jesse Newton, author of Simply Work (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Culture is a bit of nebulous topic. There are many different definitions and approaches for identifying and evolving culture. The well-known definition “the way we do things around here” is a pretty good way of capturing the essence of culture. I think once you realize that culture is simply the repeatable actions of a group of people, the concept becomes a little less fuzzy. The challenge, of course, is the task of changing the actions of a group of people in a particular way. Cultures embody certain characteristics or traits. They come to life in particular styles of communicating, making decisions, and approaches to getting work done....



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When is the last time your work was praised by your boss or someone above them?

Our reader poll today asks: When is the last time your work was praised by your boss or someone above them? Very recently. Within the last couple of days: 22% Recently. Within the last week or two: 22% A while ago. Sometime last month: 16% A long time ago. Several months ago: 18% Praise? What’s […]



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Developing Your Team Members

It's never a great idea to work in a silo, but you also have make sure you're working with a strong team.  Learn about how you can strengthen your team and your leadership.

Today's post is by Mike Figliuolo, Managing Director of thoughtLEADERS.

Personalizing Your Leadership Approach

Do you feel like you're investing a ton of time in your people and not getting the results you expect? Do you have team members who are performing well, but you just can't get them to improve? Are some of your team members disengaged and you worry about them leaving your organization? 

I've dealt with all of these situations, and I've taught countless leaders how to overcome these challenges. As a result, I developed a framework called the Leadership Matrix to help deal with these issues. I've also written...



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