Each week we share our favorite leadership reading from all the research we do. Our favs are an eclectic collection of topics that engaged our interest over the past week. Posts may be current, old, mainstream, and even off the beaten path. Be inspired! Lead BIG!
Lead by Listening and Championing New Leaders & New Ideas (Melissa Laughon, Catch Your Limit)
The BIG team loves Melissa’s self-awareness! On a recent flight, she recognized it was time to be a listener and hear stories about leadership and the power of negative role models.
Leadership and Love (Paul J. Zak, Big Questions Online)
“Especially in tough economic times, some managers may believe that love in the workplace is a luxury they can’t afford. They may find that the cost of hard-hearted or indifferent management can be counted in dollars and cents.” Try a little kindness…
Office Politics – Five Steps to Make It Joyful (Henna Inam, The Glass Hammer)
Office politics is frequently a work sport many people choose not to play. Bad move. Henna offers up good advice on how to turn those sticky situations into positive advantage.
Escaping the Asylum (Samuel B. Bacharach, The Bacharach Blog)
Goodness, what a concept! Comparing corporate life to being in an asylum, where, “after a while everyone…begins to submit to the definition of self the organization imposes on them, begins speaking the language of the organization, parroting the aspirations of the organization, and accepting the authority and rules of the organization.” Lots to noodle after reading this one!
3 Ways to Silence Your Inner Critic (Scott Eblin, Eblin Group)
Scott serves up three methods for silencing the itty, bitty committee in your head “so you can show up with the kind of confidence that compels people to follow your lead.”
How Women Can Advance as Business Leaders (Anne Deeter Gallaher, CrowdShifter)
Anne shares tips and pointers that helped her with career advancement, from finding your voice to building your own sandbox.
Workplace Diet: Was Blind But Now I See (Because I Asked for Input) (David Grossman, Leader Communicator Blog)
As David writes, “We all have them. Blind spots. Things that are unknown to us yet obvious to others; an area of our leadership vision we’re not able to see.” He offers examples of the most common blind spots as well as 11 ways to figure them out.
Thoughts on dealing with the paradox of kindness. “Kindness is the currency of our hearts, the only currency that can never be subtracted and never be balanced in anyone’s ledgers. We choose to be kind because it is the way we want to live our lives, not because we will be rewarded in some way. When we start to keep score, we become closed-hearted: I’m not doing anything nice until someone does something good for me. Our acts of kindness are whole unto themselves. They require no acknowledgment and no reward, for the act itself returns us once again to the heart of our own humanity.” ~Will Glennon
