When Paul Smurl left his job as Attorney and Management Consultant to become president and COO of Some Spider, he knew he’d need to acquire new skills and a new way to look at things. A mentor about half his age seemed like the answer. Here he describes his successful and fulfilling experience finding and building a relationship with Kareem Rahma.
Say it Loud
Are women hindered in advancing up the career ladder because they don’t articulate their desire and expectations for promotion? “There are guys here who have been saying ‘I’m awesome’ ever since they got here, so people start believing it’s true.”
What Gets You Up in the Morning?
Optimism and an eagerness to seize opportunities can be a far more useful source of executive inspiration than fear. “If jobs don’t give people the opportunity to fulfill these basic needs, many employees will leave — and the best are often the first to go.”
Buzzwords We Can Believe In
Popular buzz words and buzz phrases of the day can tell us a lot about workplace conditions. Often, they are brought to fore by the realities of the times. What do today’s buzz words of empathy and mindfulness tell us about our own working conditions?
We Don’t Need Another Hero CEO
What is the most important factor contributing to an organization’s ability to thrive? Is it the risk-taking Hero CEO or collaborative teams? Financial Times columnist Herminia Ibarra traces the divide between manager and leader to Abraham Zaleznik.
Role Model Behavior
Role models are particularly important to women. For those who aspire to leadership positions, role models demonstrate that such aspirations are possible. Yet when women are routinely criticized for poor work-life balance decisions, this can compound the guilt they are already likely to feel.
Meritocracy without the Numbers
The move away from rigid performance reviews is an encouraging trend that began in Silicon Valley. However, no consensus has emerged as to what should replace it. The biggest concern appears to be that any new system will make the existing organization less meritocratic.
Frances Hesselbein’s Merit Badge in Leadership
As CEO of The Girl Scouts, Frances Hesselbein transformed the organization from a venerable but relatively staid institution promoting civic and homemaking skills into a vibrant, diverse one that emphasizes leadership, science, technology, and math. Who does she credit with her inspiration? Peter Drucker.
The Business Beat
Law enforcement organizations and leaders of large corporations don’t often look to each other for ways to improve company culture. Yet in this case, corporate leaders could learn a thing or two from those who patrol the streets. John Katzenback theorizes that the success of the “broken windows” approach to reducing urban crime could provide some valuable lessons.
The Farewell Address
What is the best way to respond when a colleague announces that they’re moving on? Bill Wiersma offers his professional advice on how you should handle this awkward and sometimes painful situation.