In drafting the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote these words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are empowered by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, [...]
Research finds team success and member engagement highly correlated (Muddle, 2020). Increasing team success, therefore, means increasing member engagement. Highly productive team members are often those with the highest levels of engagement. That is, members who most strongly believe [...]
"The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow," noted Rupert Murdoch. Changing anything quickly is stressful. And changing old ways into new requires innovation. This creates a serious [...]
Research finds that the clearly articulated vision of a leader can inspire, motivate, build trust, stimulate commitment, empower, and guide the actions of a team into a productive and profitable future (Haque, et al., 2020). The vision of a leader [...]
It is traditionally thought that great leaders are both bold and brash. But new research indicates that the humble leader has strengths that extend beyond those who believe a strong personality is the path to effective leadership. The humble leader [...]
Earlier this week, a client asked me how leaders can increase employee engagement. Thinking it was a good question--for business leaders and coaches alike--I dug into the research to find an answer. I discovered a recently published study that revealed [...]
While there is wide consensus that a leader's vision is key for motivating team members to support organizational change, it remains far from clear what characterizes an effective vision of change. Research finds followers often resist change because it [...]
On Sunday, August 8, 2021, a great man passed from this world. While he was widely recognized for his impact as a football coach, Bobby Bowden's spirit and influence extended far beyond a sports field. I got to know [...]
An extensive research study was undertaken to determine the relationships between leadership, culture, and organizational outcomes. Two consecutive national leadership surveys yielded data from 570 participants. The results found that performance outcomes were affected by both organizational culture and team [...]
We often think that to be successful, we need those who have experienced great success to mentor us. If we follow their path, so the thinking goes, we too will be successful. Not always. On the contrary, there are those [...]
A revealing research study was undertaken to understand the thinking process needed for leaders to formulate an effective vision. The study required participants to formulate leadership visions which were then appraised for quality, originality, elegance, perceived utility, and affective reaction [...]
There comes a time in every leader’s career that they must have that 'difficult conversation' with a team member. Most often the person the leader must speak with is under-performing or acting inappropriately. To avoid the conversation in hopes the [...]
Competent leadership has long been recognized as an important cog in the innovation machine of teams and organizations. And persuasive empirical evidence links charismatic leaders with their abilities to recruit and develop key personnel as well as increase firm performance [...]
A challenge for any leader is assembling and stimulating a team that performs efficiently and effectively to achieve a high level of success. For leaders facing this challenge, there is a proven and workable 4-step process for building high-performing teams [...]
Morale is measured in the extent an individual's needs are being met and the level of satisfaction they gain from what they do. Morale is high when there is interest in and enthusiasm for the job one does. Morale is [...]