Communicating, networking and the power of vulnerability were leadership topics that struck a chord with the BIG team this past week.
Believe in yourself and enjoy!
Take 5: Why Men Should Care (Ilene H. Lang and Jeanine Prime, Catalyst)
“Seventy-four percent of the men Catalyst interviewed in their Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives series identified fear and apathy as barriers to supporting gender equality.” Read five reasons why men have a lot to gain and nothing to fear from gender equality.
Barriers and Gateways to Communication (Carl R. Rogers and E.J. Roethlisberger, Harvard Business Review)
Some things are indeed timeless…with effective two-way communications being one of them. Some of this research is nearly 50 years old, yet it still resonates…and reminds us that business engagement relative to connecting with and engaging employees has made progress but still has a long way to go.
How to Win at Office Politics (Beth Weissenberger, Bloomberg Businessweek)
Office politics gets its bad name from the bad operators who manipulate, fib, lie and back stab - all in the name of their own success. Setting aside the bad operators, at its core office politics is about influence, networking and authenticity. Read some practical tips for doing office politics the kind win-win way.
Managing Yourself: The Paradox of Excellence (Thomas J. DeLong and Sara DeLong, Harvard Business Review)
Does this scenario sound familiar? “We tell our people over and over again that we will support their professional development, but if a new project doesn’t work out immediately, we basically push them over the cliff.” This article is chock-a-block full of examples, tips and pointers for handling those situations when you do the right thing poorly the first time. Great to see vulnerability on the list!
How to Handle Getting Layered at Work (Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS)
One minute you’re reporting to the big boss, then suddenly you’ve dropped a level on the org chart when your boss hires you a new boss. If you’ve ever been layered or need to layer your team, Mike offers tips for handling it gracefully and professionally.
What’s really important - money or meaning. “I have a pretty clear idea of how my ideas have generated enormous revenue for companies that have used my research; I know I’ve had a substantial impact. But as I’ve confronted this disease, it’s been interesting to see how unimportant that impact is to me now. I’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched.” ~Clayton Christensen
Looks like an interesting selection of books. WRT the first one, “Why Men Should Care,” suggests that both fear and apathy keep men from supporting gender equality. These two are quite different emotional reactions. I am apathetic about sports events but don’t fear them. On the other hand, I would fear bands of young males roaming my neighborhood though. I can understand the apathy but not the fear that men may have of women.
Jo Anne — there shouldn’t be anything to fear; yet, in my experience, I’ve seen men fearful of women who knew more than they did, who were at connections, etc. All the more reason to value competition and collaboration equally…take away the artificial barriers.