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A New Way To Think For Business Leaders

Forbes  named,  A New Way To Think , as one of the 10 must-read books for 2022.  In the book, authored by  Roger L. Martin , he urges business leaders to toss out the old ways of thinking, and instead try new models in every domain of management – from competition and customers to strategy, data, culture, talent, mergers and acquisitions, and everything in-between.  More specifically, within 14 chapters, Martin explores his recommended new ways of thinking about: Competition Stakeholders Customers Strategy Data Knowledge Work Corporate Functions Planning Execution Talent Innovation Capital Investment Mergers and Acquisitions Roger L. Martin  Recently, Martin answered these questions: Question: What is the secret about strategy that no one tells you?   Martin : Strategy and planning are entirely different.  The vast majority of activities referred to as strategy are actually planning. Planning involved creating lists of sensible initiatives. Strategy is the making of an integrated set o
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How To Survive And Then Reset To Ultimately Thrive

“Uncertainty is here to stay. Rather than seeing it as an obstacle to overcome, integrate it into your strategic approach to invigorate your high-growth potential and outperform competition under any market condition,” explains Rebecca Homkes , author of the new book, Survive, Reset, Thrive .   “Most books aren’t honest enough about how hard it is to reset ,” adds Homkes. Yet, resetting and leaning into change is essential. “If you are ready to embrace change as a central element of your growth strategy, this book is for you.” Homkes’ book is a timely, comprehensive, and essential read for business leaders looking to take the next step toward ensuring high growth for their companies. The book brings together more than 15 years of Homkes working directly with high-growth companies of all sizes and across a wide variety of industries.   Survive, Reset, Thrive (SRT) is a practical and innovative interconnected three-mode approach :   Survive : Stabilizing your business when

How To Fix The 12 Most Common Presentation Mistakes

  Today brings a must-read book for anyone who makes presentations at work, a club, a non-profit, or to any group of individuals the presenter wants to persuade to take action.   The book is, Presentation Ready , by Terri L. Sjodin , one of America’s leading experts on persuasive presentations. Her specialty is blending communications theory, field research, and practical sales experience to help professionals and non-professionals become more polished and persuasive presenters.   When you read the book, you’ll discover the 12 common sales presentations mistakes and you’ll learn why the mistakes happen, why the mistakes are damaging, and how to avoid the mistakes. Presentation Ready is divided into three sections:   Building your case – the foundation of your persuasive arguments and content. Leveraging creativity – How your persuasive message resonates with listeners (storytelling, visual aids, structure, curiosity) Honing your delivery – Your unique style, movement, person

Your 2024 New Year's Resolution Check-In

  Yikes. It's already March. Hopefully, you've mastered or are achieving good progress with your New Year's resolution(s) for 2024.  If you need another resolution to tackle this year or haven't yet selected one, now is a good time to review this list below.  New Year's Resolutions for leaders : Don't micromanage Don't be a bottleneck Focus on outcomes, not minutiae Build trust with your colleagues before a crisis comes Assess your company's strengths and weaknesses at all times Conduct annual risk reviews Be courageous, quick and fair Talk more about values more than rules Reward how a performance is achieved and not only the performance Constantly challenge your team to do better Celebrate your employees' successes, not your own Err on the side of taking action Communicate clearly and often Be visible Eliminate the cause of a mistake View every problem as an opportunity to grow Summarize group consensus after each decision point during a meeting Pr

My 10 Favorite Quotes From The Book, The 5 Levels Of Leadership

Here are some of my favorites quotes from   John C. Maxwell 's book,  The 5 Levels of Leadership  that I believe should become a   must-read book   by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself.  It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust.  The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes.  In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter.  In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team. Progress comes only from taking risks and m

Leadership Books To Read During Spring Break

Spring break is just around the corner for many people. When you have some downtime to relax and ready, I recommend these compelling books about leadership:

The What, Why And How Of Learning

In his book,  Education is Freedom , author James W. Keyes recaps his learned business lessons for top management and CEOs at companies of all sizes. He covers: Discovering what customers truly care about. It’s convenience, not products. Leading during times of turmoil. Developing the confidence to try again after a failure, and to maintain composure in the face of critical media coverage. Forming strategic collaborations to rescue a dying company. Plus, Keyes states that Education Is Freedom  provides the “what,” “why,” and “how” of learning. He outlines the importance of education  for   all  humankind and the power of education to change our world. Because of his lifelong commitment to education, Keyes founded the Education is Freedom Foundation , which provides college scholarships for hard-working young students. In over 20 years since its inception, the foundation has helped nearly hundreds of thousands of students find their path to higher education.   Keyes also