On the last day of class, I ask my students to turn those theoretical lenses on themselves, to find cogent answers to three questions: First, how can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? Second, how can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness? Third, how can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail? Though the last question sounds lighthearted, it’s not. Two of the 32 people in my Rhodes Scholar class spent time in jail. Jeff Skilling of Enron fame was a classmate of mine at HBS. These were good guys—but something in their lives sent them off in the wrong direction. To read the complete article, please click here

Source: HBRManagement Tip
Adapted from “What’s Your One Big Theme?” by Peter Bregman.

During my term as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, I enjoyed dropping in on classes from time to time to learn from our world-class faculty and to chat with students. Whenever I asked, “How many of you want to be leaders?” everyone in the room instantly raised their hands.

A few years later, as an administrator at a large state university, I frequently asked students the same question. But usually fewer than half of those in the room put up their hands.

What explains the difference? Talent wasn’t the issue. Both institutions are blessed with bright, hard-working young men and women. Nor was instruction a problem. Both institutions employ top-notch faculty. The difference, I’m convinced, was rooted in mindset.To read the complete article, please click here

Oprah Winfrey is finding out just how hard it is to build an out-of-the-way channel into a television destination. OWN, her two-month-old channel, is attracting fewer viewers than the obscure channel it replaced, Discovery Health. At any given time this month, there have been about 135,000 people watching OWN, according to the Nielsen Company, and only about 45,000 of those people are women ages 25 to 54, the demographic that the channel is focusing on. To read the complete article, please click here

Just because you’re driving the bus doesn’t mean you have the right to run people over - Abraham Lincoln said “Most anyone can stand adversity, but to test a man’s character give him power.” The more power you are granted the more it is your responsibility to serve, develop and empower others. When you help them grow they’ll help you grow.

Posted on Harvard Business Review: October 18, 2010 11:39 AM
When Ann Moore was on her way to becoming CEO of Time Inc., before women were found in top management ranks, she won loyalty by, among other things, spreading a perquisite of her magazine publisher job to peers and subordinates: preferred seats at the best sporting events in New York. Across the Atlantic, Maurice Levy was appointed CEO of Publicis while still a junior employee, in part because of his fervent commitment when the headquarters in Paris caught on fire, and he ran into the offices to rescue client files.

High achievers don’t turn into leaders, even if they seem to have the right skills, without the power that comes from going beyond the letter of the job and doing what I’ve come to call the Extras. Here are my top six.

1. Colleagueship. Being a good colleague means helping the entire group achieve results even when you’re not in charge—for example, by filling in for an absent co-worker, showing up at a special event that’s not required, or pitching in with ideas and information for someone else’s project. This factor, intangible as it seems, is written into the formal standards for promotion at my own institution, Harvard Business School. Colleagueship is considered a sign of whether someone can take on bigger leadership responsibilities in a flat, decentralized organization.To read the complete article, please click here

” Earn the Respect of Others”

Respect is 2-way. If you want others to respect you, respect others first.

It’s the most important thing a leader can do because culture drives behavior, behavior drives habits and habits create results. In the words of leaders at Apple, “Culture beats strategy all day long.”

When you create a culture of greatness you create a collective mindset in your organization that expects great things to happen—even during challenging times. You expect your people to be their best, you make it a priority to coach them to be their best and most of all you create a work environment that allows them to be their best.

A culture of greatness creates an expectation that everyone in the organization be committed to excellence. It requires leaders and managers to put the right people in the right positions where they are humble and hungry and willing to work harder than everyone else. A culture of greatness dictates that each person use their gifts and strengths to serve the purpose and mission of the organization. And it means that you don’t just bring in the best people, but you also bring out the best in your people. Excerpted from A Culture of Greatness, by Jon Gordon

but what you can inspire,

encourage and empower others to do.