Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Demise of Talent

Warren Bennis in his classic book, Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues, discussed the forces that impact leaders and diminished their ability to lead. Bennis knew that the environment in which a leader operates impacts his or her ability to lead. A great leader in one setting may be totally ineffective in a… Continue reading Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Demise of Talent

Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Warren Bennis in his classic book Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues, discussed the forces that e impacted leaders and diminished their ability to lead. One of the major forces was what Bennis called ominous societal trends. This article is an attempt to look at one of those societal trends that I adversely… Continue reading Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Why Leaders Cannot Lead Revisited

In 1990 Warren Bennis wrote the following in his classic leadership book, Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues (Jossey-Bass Publishers). “In America today, it is harder than ever to lead. One of my favorite social barometers, the bumper sticker, corroborates this. There has been a resurgence lately of such exhortations as “Don’t Vote… Continue reading Why Leaders Cannot Lead Revisited

Leadership Nugget #13: Can Organizations Adapt Enough to Satisfy The Philosophy of Entitlement?

Quality and skill are becoming less important as more and more employees look for ease in the workplace. Consider the following research: 45 % of employees aspire to achieve work/life balance, which is more than double the number of employees that rank being the best at what they do (17 %) as their top career… Continue reading Leadership Nugget #13: Can Organizations Adapt Enough to Satisfy The Philosophy of Entitlement?

Leadership Nugget # 12: Leadership Quality Replicates Itself

Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman published an insightful article in Harvard Business Review that validates what many of us have observed. Excellent leaders tend to cluster. Said another way, excellent leaders develop, over time, other excellent leaders. This is a phenomenon that rings true in our every day observations. We see families that produce children… Continue reading Leadership Nugget # 12: Leadership Quality Replicates Itself

Leadership Nugget #11: Are You A Humble Leader?

“Leaders who rated themselves on the low end of 360-degree surveys received higher leadership effectiveness scores from their employees and colleagues. Indeed, the more they underrated themselves, the more highly they were perceived as leaders We assume this is caused by a combination of humility, high personal standards, and a continual striving to be better.… Continue reading Leadership Nugget #11: Are You A Humble Leader?

Leadership Nugget #9. What Is The Missing Ingredient In Leadership Talent Development?

Organization’s attempts at leadership development are reflective of the age-old debate on parenting: does it take a lot of time or quality time? The chart below describes the common actions taken by CEOs to develop the next generation of leadership talent according to Price Waterhouse Coopers. When it comes to leadership development, it appears organizations… Continue reading Leadership Nugget #9. What Is The Missing Ingredient In Leadership Talent Development?

Leadership Nugget # 8: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – How Do You Measure The Value Of A Leader?

How would you answer the question: “In your current or most recent job, do you think you could do a better job than your manager?” 4,800 people in a Monster.com survey responded, and 84% of them said, “Yes!” The belief of respondents that they could do a better job than their managers was a widespread… Continue reading Leadership Nugget # 8: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – How Do You Measure The Value Of A Leader?

Leadership Nugget #7: Are You A Creative Leader?

According to a new study at The University of Texas at San Antonio, the key to a successful, creative leader is confidence. Ineffective or abusive leaders create stressful situations for their employees by humiliating them in front of others, playing favorites or not giving their subordinates proper credit for their work.Confident leaders inspire others to… Continue reading Leadership Nugget #7: Are You A Creative Leader?

Leadership Nugget # 5: Do CEOs See Government As The Main Threat To Business?

Four hundred CEOs in eighty-three countries were surveyed about what they see as key threats to business. There was an amazing degree of consistency on their views. 1. Overregulation – 83% 2. Geopolitical uncertainty (74%) 3. Exchange rate volatility (73%) 4. Availability of key skills (72%) 5. Government response to fiscal deficit and debt burden… Continue reading Leadership Nugget # 5: Do CEOs See Government As The Main Threat To Business?