5 Top Leadership Articles, Week of February 15, 2016
Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.
Our Gift to You: Karin and I have a gift for you when you pre-order Winning Well.
Check it out at the end this round-up.
Why Your Employee Engagement Programs Fail at Lead Change Group, written by me
This was easily the most popular article this week. If you’re like most leaders, you focus first on how you’ll talk to our team, how you’ll run your meetings, what you’ll do to address performance problems, how you’ll train, coach, encourage and do all the other things leaders do.
These activities are important, of course, but they’re not everything. In fact, if your leadership and employee engagement activities don’t produce the results you hope for, it’s likely that you need to put your attention somewhere else first.
Why Culture Still Eats Strategy for Breakfast (and maybe lunch as well) by Kevin Sheridan
In the last year, there were two thorough studies released showing employee engagement and culture topping the list as the number one challenge for organizations worldwide, one by the Society for Human Resource Management and the other by Deloitte. An overwhelming 87% of respondents believe engagement and culture were “important,” with 50% declaring the problem as “very important.” Furthermore, the “very important” responses doubled from two years prior. Fully two-thirds of the HR respondents said they are currently updating their engagement and retention strategies, for good reason.
My Comment: Kevin highlights several challenges organizations face when it comes to fostering positive culture and employee engagement including: virtual work, millennials, transparency, and continued lack of understanding. Your best business strategy won’t matter if you don’t plant it in the rich soil of good company culture.
How Leaders Can Make Their Messaging Meaningful by Scott Mautz
More than one CEO has said, “Leadership is 90 percent communication,” and research bears them out by showing that the way in which managers communicate with employees is one of the most important factors in driving employee engagement. The late Maya Angelou (People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel) pinpoints the key to communication that engages and makes meaning: make people feel something. Inspire a felt sense of confidence. Build certainty and community. It makes the difference between compliance and commitment, meaningless work and meaningful work.
My Comment: Scott shares five tactics that will always serve you well when you communicate big picture concepts with your team.
The One Sentence Employee Engagement Course: 20 Words to Gain Emotional Commitment on Forbes.com by Kevin Kruse
This is the second week in a row Kevin’s article has been one of the most popular – and it’s easy to see why: Is it truly possible to condense the science of employee engagement into a single sentence? It is and Kevin will convince you of that. No topic that is more important to the long-term success of business than engagement. Despite the click-baiting contrarians, Gallup and others have a solid body of research that shows that engagement is the antecedent of service, quality, sales, profits and ultimately shareholder value.
My Comment: The research around what connects people to their work is clear and well documented. Kevin Kruse gives you a great one-sentence summary of the principles of engaged employees. Karin and I devote the pages of Winning Well to practical tools you can use to live out these principles every day.
10 Empowering Quotes from Inspiring Women Leaders Infographic by John Walston
Also making a second-week-in-a-row appearance. Have you checked out these quotes?
These empowering quotes from inspiring women leaders might help motivate you to reach the next level. They come from different walks of life – business, politics and entertainment – but their messages resonate with all of us.
My Comment: Many good quotes here – one of my favorites is from former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, “If you cannot allow people to do their jobs…nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.”
——-
Our Gift to You
For every copy of Winning Well that you pre-order, we will send you a hand-signed bookplate with your custom message!
Simply order Winning Well from your favorite bookstore (click here for Amazon). Then go to www.WinningWellBook.com. Click on THE BOOK, then on CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOOK, and submit your message in the form. When the book ships, we’ll send you a custom, hand-signed, adhesive bookplate that you can put inside the front cover.
Even better, there is no limit to the number of bookplates you may get. Get this valuable customized resource for yourself and for all the managers in your life!
“I’d choose Winning Well as the top leadership book for the 21st century, full of actionable insights, practices, and principles for your lasting leadership success. Take charge of your team, your career, and your results. Read Winning Well with a highlighter and pen in hand, and then buy a copy for everyone on your team. Yes, it really IS that good.” -David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing
——-
David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David to speak at your next event or corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!
The post 5 Top Leadership Articles, Week of February 15, 2016 appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.
Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582
