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Brief, practical pieces on leadership, talent, succession, and the hard parts of running a business. Read in sixty seconds. Apply on Monday.

How Will You Spend Your 1/2 Million Minutes?
As of today, I’ve spent more than 486,720 minutes engaged in doing something this year. Put into seconds, that’s more 29,203,200 seconds, the equivalent of 338 days. It seems like it’s a lot. 29,000,000 is a big number. One would think it would feel like a long time. Funny thing is, instead, all that time…
Read the pieceWhy you can’t stop checking your phone
Why you can’t stop checking your phone We’d like to think it’s mind over matter when it comes to preventing texting and driving. But researchers tend to think it’s more complex than that. How often do you reach for your smart phone? And do you truly know why? Find out more here.
Read the pieceThe Video that has Captured the Essence of Our Smart Phone Era
If you’re currently with family, friends, or other loved ones, please view this video later: Here’s the companion article: I forgot my phone
Read the pieceNot Your Father’s War for Talent
In the late 90’s, the War for Talent meant companies’ demand for capable employees outstripped the available supply, in part because the growth in the economy was accelerating demand. Now, we still have a war for talent, but it’s due more to supply side issues, specifically a lack of supply, which is chilling, given our…
Read the pieceDoes pay for performance stifle innovation?
Researchers at UC Berkeley and UCLA business schools suggest that pay for performance hinders innovation. Instead, compensation models that have a “tolerance for early failure and reward for long-term success” are more effective in fostering innovation. Link to overview of study. Link to full report of study.
Read the pieceDo You Intimidate Your Co-Pilot?
Do You Intimidate Your Co-Pilot? The 2013 tragedy of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash at San Francisco Airport highlighted the significance of not only the role of the leader, but also those of their colleagues. Moreover, it underscored the criticality of the relationship of those working in the cockpit. Following the crash, Deborah Hersman, chairwoman…
Read the pieceBeyond profits: A more comprehensive model of leadership
“If you have to choose between two models of the company, one only about profit and the other about profit but also about other stakeholders, which would you choose?” asks Tom Donaldson, a professor of ethics and law at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business who has monitored how executives worldwide answer. Thirty to 40 percent of those…
Read the pieceA Dad’s advice for greater career success
A Dad’s advice for greater career success A son discusses how his father’s advice early in his career has helped him throughout his career: http://linkd.in/13BRreJ
Read the pieceHow conflict avoidance kills organizations & leaders’ effectiveness
In this wonderful TED video, Margaret Heffernan, shows why leaders need to seek out vibrant, constructive conflict. [ted id=1533]
Read the pieceThe Real Dangers of Being a Great Role Model
The Real Dangers of Being a Great Role Model One of the leadership and management “truths” is the undisputed value of being a great role model. Not many people would question the value of being a great role model. In fact, I think most, if not all, people would say they would be pleased to…
Read the pieceIs this the beginning of the end of HR as we know it?
Some companies are doing away with HR as we know it, and instead, are transferring HR’s responsibilities to managers. Isn’t that what we want, managers who are more actively involved in and responsible for the development and management of their people? Or is there a downside to this? What do you think? Read more here….
Read the pieceSigns of Chronic High-skill Talent Shortage?
For the first time in 5 years, the quota on H-1B visas will be exhausted in less than a week. Although it suggests a recovering economy, it also suggests a chronic shortage of highly skilled, mostly science-related workers. Details here. (Looking for issues of our 60-Second Email? You’ll find those here.)
Read the pieceSurvey: Skills Gap Hurting Top 10 Economies
The talent shortage and skills gap continue. Although more than 50% of BRIC employers report difficulty in hiring high-skilled labor, US employers report issues as well. 41% of US employers report productivity loss due to continued job vacancies. See survey summary.
Read the piece5 Critical Insights on Leadership from Peter Drucker
From one of his most popular books, The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done, here is Peter Drucker on 5 critical insights on leadership. (Looking for our 60-Second Emails? You’ll find all of them here.)
Read the pieceIf You’re Bored at Work, You’ve Just Been Warned.
Think about the work you do every day. Ever find it boring, repetitive, or lacking in meaning? Did you answer “yes” to any of that? If you did, then that’s a good thing. Why would it be a good thing? Because it means you’ve been warned. And better still, you’re the one who’s warning yourself….
Read the pieceWhat does your MBA tuition actually buy you?
The former chairman of asset management firm Neuberger Berman, questions the value of all that MBA academic research. And did you realize the impact the cost of that research has on tuition??? Read more here.
Read the pieceWhy a Leader’s First Decision is Often Wrong
I’ve chosen a word at random. Is it more likely that the word starts with a K, or that K is the third letter in the word? If you’re like most people, you’ll say it’s more likely the word starts with a K. However, there are more than twice as many words that have K in…
Read the pieceIn ’08 & ’09, You Were Downsized. Now, You’re Being Inflated. What Should You Do?
Since 2008 and the start of the Great Recession, there have been 3 distinct phases in leadership and management: Phase 1, Downsizing: Positions were drastically eliminated, and people were let go, quickly and in great numbers. Phase 1 Leadership Implications: Contain the losses. Stem the bleeding. Keep the faith that all will not implode. Phase…
Read the pieceThis Beveridge Has a Sickening Aftertaste for Millions of Americans
You don’t need to be an economist to know that sobering things are occurring in the US economy. For example, there are fewer jobs for more unemployed workers. Following the 2000 recession, there were 14 people unemployed for every 10 hires. Now, it’s 35 unemployed for every 10 hires: Source: Workforce Management In 2000, only…
Read the piece5 Ways to Know Your Consultant Is an Empty Suit or Pantsuit
Like some ignoble professions, consulting suffers from low barriers to entry. At least my children need to take a test to get a driver’s license. But any adult can hang out a shingle and become a “consultant”. Here are 5 ways to know that yours may be in over his/her head. If you ever hear…
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Brief, practical pieces on leadership, talent, succession, and the hard parts of running a business. Read in sixty seconds.
