Hofstede’s findings in full can be found on the web and I recommend them as a great way to start thinking about the differences you may encounter in a multicultural or international workplace. In a particular it can explain why many around us (that come from high uncertainty avoidance societies) show anxiety about an uncertain… Continue reading »
May
25
ANT ACTION IN LEADING & MANAGING, YESSIR WE CAN LEARN FROM ANTS part 4
The collective intelligence we looked at in part 3 is also found in other ants. Experiments with one group, ‘lepticthorax’, effectively demonstrate how one individual’s behavior can influence those around it. By including each individual in the decision making process they enable or cause the simple actions by one to generate more sophisticated actions by… Continue reading »
May
23
DO ANTS KNOW ABOUT LEADING & MANAGING? Part 3 ‘YESSIR’
“Collective intelligence”, how about that as a concept for getting things done… The legendary Army Ants gain their fearful reputation and devastating power because they are driven by an obsessional purpose combined with an extremely high level of determination and use what is known as their collective intelligence. The amazing thing is that this all… Continue reading »
Apr
19
Influencing Others through Communication and the Value of PAINTING a VERBAL PICTURE
One of the most underutilized communication skills during the influencing process seems to me to be the valuable skill of painting a verbal picture. The idea for the influencer with this technique is to engender enthusiasm for a course of action or point of view by ‘painting a picture’ of a desired future state. This… Continue reading »
Apr
07
The 5 Sources of Power and How to Become Powerful part 2
Expert power Expert power is based on the specialized knowledge or skills that an individual has which can be contributed or withheld. Generally, individuals are positive about being lead, or at least influenced, by those whom they regard as ‘an expert’. This form of power is “comparative” and the holder of this type of power… Continue reading »
Jan
31
A career lesson from Thomas Robert Malthus, Malthusian Law
One of the few things I consciously remember from my “school days learning” is a ‘law’ pertaining to human existence. If my memory serves me well Malthusian Law went something like this: ‘The world will never be overpopulated as population growth is limited by war, pestilence, famine and natural disasters.’ From a personal or individual… Continue reading »
Jan
27
Survey Finds Strong Leadership Still Lacking in the Workplace
With sound and effective leadership in today’s economic climate more important than ever I am astounded that I still read survey results such as the one below. ‘Jan. 26 2010 PRNewswire/ — According to a recent national survey by Lee Hecht Harrison, the majority of workers in the U.S. find their bosses likeable, but feel… Continue reading »
Jan
10
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP part TWO: A TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER’S CHARACTERISTICS
Six central personality characteristics of transformational leaders seem to emerge from the prolific literature on this topic. Creative Hackman and Johnson (1991) state that creativity is “challenging the status quo by seeking out new ideas…” Managers typically concern themselves with status quo maintenance, but leaders move beyond status quo to face and deal with the… Continue reading »
Jan
10
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP part ONE: WHY EMBRACE “TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP”
To better understand why transformational leadership is a concept we should consider, a look at more traditional approaches is at first appropriate. Autocratic, army or public service style ‘instructional’ leadership encompasses hierarchies and the top-down use of power. This type of leader is supposed to know the best way to administer the business, conveys instructions… Continue reading »
Dec
11
Leadership: A Conductors Perspective
A great leadership video that is also wonderful to watch. If you can’t learn a lot from this, best not consider leadership as your role. Ric (orglearn) **Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts! While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form… Continue reading »





