What People Look for in Great Leaders

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great leadersLeadership is a popular topic of discussion and analysis in business books, and at seminars, and conferences. As a business owner, focusing on improving your leadership style and delivery is important, but it’s helpful to look first at what people are actually looking for in great leaders.

In a recent post on LinkedInToday, Marillyn Hewson, chairman and CEO at Lockheed Martin, does just that, looking at the leadership classroom of the U.S. Military to see what characteristics of leadership they find most important, especially during times of change and uncertainty.

Quoting Tom Rath and Barry Conchie’s 2008 book “Strengths Based Leadership,” Hewson calls out four things that individuals expect from great leaders: Stability, trust, compassion, and hope. Read more

The Key to Success: Three Ways to Provide Value to Your Network

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key to successAs business leaders and their staff become increasingly active on social media for professional networking or personal connections, providing value to those in your network is as important a key to success as making the initial contact.

Social media provides us with opportunities to connect with future business partners, visionaries in their industry, and prospective customers, but building a supportive and beneficial network takes time and effort.

In a recent post on entrepreneur.com, Lewis Howes, co-author of LinkedWorking and the creator of the LinkedInfluence training program, lays out three ways business leaders can provide value to their personal and professional networks. In time, those personal and professional connections will recognize you as a resource and connector. Read more

Four Ideas to Stay Focused and Productive

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focused and productiveDo you have challenges with having focused periods to accomplish your goals?

Many of us have faced that issue, and all of us must be diligent in order to stay focused and maximize our productivity.

Here are four ideas to help you stay focused and productive. Read more

Productivity: Nine Things Productive People Don’t Do

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productivityProductivity seems to always be on the minds of business leaders. Our days are filled with appointments, deadlines — and often, distractions come knocking.

In a recent post on inc.com, Bill Murphy, Jr., co-author of Breakthrough Entrepreneurship, says what you DON’T do, is just as important was what you DO do, when it comes to increasing your daily productivity. Read more

Ethics: Seven Signs You’re Not as Ethical as You Think

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ethicsBusiness leaders often pride themselves on their ethics, but it’s common for people to evaluate their own ethical standards a bit more leniently compared to others.

In a recent Inc.com post, Mandy Zetlin interviews Mark Pastin, CEO of the Council of Ethical Organizations, for his insights on ethics in business.

Pastin notes that most people are too forgiving when considering their own ethics. “It’s one of the home fields for self-deception.” This can be particularly problematic for small business owners, who are often judged by the value of their character to a greater amount than larger organizations.

To help leaders evaluate their commitment to business ethics, Pastin poses seven questions. Read more

Selling: Nine Things You Need to Know

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selling Walk down the aisles of your local bookstore and you’ll be met with countless titles about selling: Sales technique, philosophy, more effective cold calling — the list goes on and on.

In a recent post for Entrepreneur, contributor Steve Tobak distills all his experience as a sales engineer into nine things all business leaders and sales professionals need to know when it comes to effective selling. Read more