by Steve Adubato, PhD
There is a great book called, “Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens and Why It Matters,” (Harvard Business School Press) written by Barbara Kellerman. The book examines a series of case studies of “bad leadership” and focuses on the reasons for it.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
It’s amazing how many professionals are overwhelmed by the prospect of walking into a social/business event and being expected to network and make small talk. Communicating effectively in these situations can be a very big deal. Corporations invest a lot of money having their people attend cocktail parties and industry functions and expect there to be a return on the investment. The stakes are high, impressions are made, relationships are begun, and sometimes this small talk can actually translate into big dividends and meaningful business. But it doesn’t just magically happen and the business professionals who are really good at it have practiced and made it a priority, which leads us to some important questions.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Managers struggle with how to get the most out of their people. They ponder when to hire, to train, motivate and ultimately when and how to let people go. Jeff Fox is the author of a terrific book called “How to Become a Great Boss: The Rules for Getting and Keeping the Best Employees.” Fox raises a series of provocative questions that help managers and team leaders communicate and connect with those that work for and with them.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Two engineers in a major architectural firm were getting ready to conduct an in-house training session to introduce a new company initiative. The engineers had worked long hours gathering material and putting together excellent content for the workshop handouts. They were covering a lot of valuable material, but the handouts were getting voluminous.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
There is a lot of finger pointing going on in connection with the response to Hurricane Katrina. Newspaper headlines and television sound bytes consistently refer to the controversy around who was and is in charge of this massive recovery effort. Many continue to ask why there wasn’t more effective and decisive LEADERSHIP before, during and most of all after the hurricane hit the Gulf Coast.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
One of the most important attributes of a leader is the ability to admit his or her mistakes. Since leaders are faced with so many problems and challenges and are in a position to make countless decisions (or avoid them) things inevitably go wrong. The sign of a superior leader is not that he avoids making mistakes, it’s that when he does, he learns from them.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
In his book, “Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make,” author Hans Finzel says that many leaders put “paperwork before people work.” That’s a great way of saying that leaders sometimes see the people in their organization (and some on the outside) as a big pain in the neck.