Strategic Communication & Leadership Presence

Leadership

9 Things Every Woman Should Know About Leadership

There are many things that women haven't been told about leadership from career-start to the corporate boardroom. I wrote an entire book about them, but there are 9 fundamental things about leadership that women freqently aren't told and need to know. They are these.

The Missing 33%

If interpersonal skills are so important to leadership success and if women consistently outperform men in this skill set, why don't women hold many more seats at the top of organizations? Because people skills and professional competence aren't two halves of a whole. Together they make up only 66% of the success equation. What's the missing slice of the career success pie chart? Complete the circle here.

Leadership Encounter of the Grizzly Kind

Now this Grizzly - inspite of seeming totally preoccupied with fishing - is a little too close for comfort. Excitement mixes with fear in most of us. H. A. Moore (our outfitter) and Justin (my son) make sure that all the food is immediately put in the panniers and hung high out of reach. The rest of us grab cameras and binoculars and watch the bear amble into and out of the stream, heading in the general direction of the campsite. What leadership lessons did we learn? Read about them here.

 Plan Like a CEO™

There are four essential skills and attributes required in order to Plan Like a CEO: "soft eyes", strategic thinking, understanding the business of the business and process ownership skills. You can develop and strengthen these skills as you lead from any level in the organization. Learn to showcase your strategic acumen here.

Lead Now or Forever Hold Your Place!

Great leaders, at any level of the organization (whether individual contributor, supervisor, manager or executive) understand with increasing clarity the business of their business. Without this understanding, no matter how good your performance, no matter how frequently you meet deadlines, no matter how many hours you invest; you are ultimately not going to be viewed as a leader. You'll be stuck right where you are. Learn to get unstuck here.

Sprezzatura and Otaku: Factors in Leadership Excellence

Sprezzatura - an Italian word meaning "effortless mastery." Otaku - a Japanese word describing something that's more than a hobby, but less than an obsession. What do these two words and the concepts they embody have to do with leadership? Expand your vocabulary and find out here.

Changing a Culture is Harder than Turning an Aircraft Carrier

I recently read a book in which the author claims that changing a culture is like turning an aircraft carrier. I, frankly, think his similay totally misses the mark! Learn the top 5 reasons why changing a culture is harder. Look here.

 More Articles

Look here for more articles on leadership and excerpts from No Ceiling, No Walls: What women haven't been told about leadership from career-start to the corporate boardroom. Buy No Ceiling, No Walls here.

Strategic Communication and Leadership Presence

Beyond Fashion-Forward

Fashionistas would have women believe that what we wear, the accessories we use and how we look are keys to executive presence. But in the context of executive presence, this emphasis on personal appearance leads women astray. What is the key to executive presence? Find out here.

Delivering Your Core Message

I had a very important reason for asking Christine what outcome she sought for the conversation. Many managers don't engage in strategic communication. They don't know what core message they must deliver and they especially lose sight of their core message when having a difficult conversation. They let their discomfort with the conversatin get in the way of their effectiveness. Go here to learn how to better deliver your core message.

Invisibility, Humility and Boasting

Yesterday as I worked from m y home office, a small herd of young deer came over the stone walls. Two entered the yard. A nibble from the ground here, a nibble from the ground there. Delicate steps, ear-twisting listening, noses seeking the scent of danger. Zip, gone a few tips of lily leaves, a few hydrangea leaves, a few rose leaves. Deer and leadership? Find out here.

Communication Lessons from President Obama's Inaugural Speech

When President Obama took the oath of office in 2009, he joined other national and global leaders at the helm in turbulent seas. Embedded in his address is a potent strategic communication lesson for any executive or manager. President Obama used 13 communication tools to remind his fellow citizens that, as the Stockdale Paradox says, they "must confront the most brutal facts of your current reality whatever they may be AND at the same time retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties." Succeeding in this is crucial when communicating in difficult times. Download the article here.

Can You Lead a Horse to Water?

Leadership presence is comprised of many elements: appearance, dress, confidence, business-savvy, verbal and non-verbal expression. Work with horses provides an opportunity to focus with laser precision on non-verbal communication and our ability to moderate the power we radiate. Acquire more "horse sense" here.

Leadership Lessons Straight from the Horse's Mouth

Because Jeanne loved to ride I could use the metaphor of "riding as leading from the saddle" to help her achieve a deeper understanding of her leadership role. "Imagine," I said, "you're riding on a trail and you come to a wooden bridge over a small stream. Instead of walking calmly over, your horse skitters over it. What would you do?" Find out here what this has to do with leadership.