To my readers: Leadership Turn is ending; its last day is December 29. I’ve enjoyed writing it and our interaction since August 16, 2007 and I hope we can continue at my other blog.
If you enjoy my views and writing, please join me at MAPping Company Success or subscribe via RSS or EMAIL.
The WELCOME MAT is out!
Your comments—priceless
Image credit: JJChandler.com @ Tombstone Generator

Mark Stelzner at Inflexion Point is host for the December Leadership Development Carnival and he’s done it with such flair and good imagery that it’s silly for me to try and improve his snowstorm analogy.
Although the weather outside may be frightful, this Carnival’s writers are so delightful. So stoke the fire, grab a blanket and get ready to curl up with some of the best leadership writing from the past thirty days. Cozy yet? Good… let’s jump right in. Leadership Whiteout The good thing about a whiteout is that you have no choice but to stop and pay attention:

Wally Bock …read more

I have some great links for you today, but I only want you to read them if you hold tight to the Leadership Turn caveat while you do it.
In case you don’t remember, the caveat is that leadership information is useful to you whether you are still in school, a stay-at-home parent, a worker, middle manager, or the person in the corner office. Everyone leads at one time or another, so tweak the information to fit what you need at this moment.
First, some useful information from a book review called 7 Lessons for Navigating the Storm, the 7 actions listed …read more

For people who love blogs and crave a variety of ideas, viewpoints and opinions carnivals are like potato chips—you can’t read just one.
But unlike potato chips, blog posts don’t get stale, so return as often as you like before (or after) the next Carnival goes live November 1 at Dan McCarthy’s Great Leadership.
This month’s host is Becky Robinson at Leader Talk.
Ever wonder how the posts are chosen? The answer is by the blogger—each of us chooses a recent post that we feel brings exceptional value to you.
There is an enormous amount of practical advice in these posts; useful whether you …read more

Hopefully you’re not laboring today, at least not at work.
There’s no football, so other than eating what is likely the last BBQ of the season and indulging in too much beer you might be a bit short of entertainment.
Never fear, just click the link and settle in for some great viewpoints on leadership, management, employee interaction and other pertinent subjects at September incarnation of the Leadership Development Carnival.
You’ll not only find my favorites, Wally Bock, Steve Roesler and Jim Stroup, but a host of excellent writers and downright smart people.
It doesn’t matter if you agree with what they say (I …read more

Dan McCarthy over at Great Leadership By Dan is once again hosting The July 5th Leadership Development Carnival (it will be hosted other places in the coming months) and, as Dan says, “It’ll help work the cramps out of your brain,” now that the holiday is over.
There’s a lot of excellent information available from the many outstanding participants.
Click around, read and enjoy, but with my normal caveat—leadership is for everyone, not just the person out front.
Your comments—priceless
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Image credit: Great Leadership by Dan

It’s a holiday weekend and I assume (hope) that you have better things to do than sit around reading a bunch of stuff on the Net.
So the links I’ve found for you are made to bookmark; they’re ongoing resources for you to explore as the mood and time moves you.
First is a cool site from Stanford Graduate School of Business with videos, such as the one on Jeff Raikes, head of the Gates Foundation, and a large selection of other topics.
Next is a favorite from Business Week’ Innovation and Design. It comes out weekly with great stories; for example, did …read more

CEOs have been envied for decades; the pedestal kept getting higher and we all know that the higher the pedestal the further the fall. Things started changing in the eighties and now CEOs as a group are scorned and reviled as symbols of ego and greed who caused most of the problems we’re facing.
Certainly some do qualify for that title, but tarring all CEOs with that brush is plain stupid, as stupid as judging any group based on the actions of a tiny minority—no matter how high profile its is.
Today’s links offer up info on the folks in the corner …read more

Few companies would consider doing a major project using individual contributors instead of teams.
Hiring is a major project, one that has substantial long-term impact on the group, department, and company.
So, why are teams used in every part of business today—except staffing? Why is it assumed that the various parts of staffing are a function only of managers and HR?
Sadly, some managers are not comfortable involving their people. The reasons range from control issues (involvement in staffing is very empowering) to fear (the manager feels insecure) to disinterest (staffing has a low priority).
But in today’s fast-paced work environment, it’s hard for …read more

Today is about the boss, but the reasoning behind the ‘leadership’ advice can be used by anyone.
First is advice from Toddi Gutner in WSJ Online for what to do as an incoming CEO. The advice is well worth reading considering 1,484 CEOs turned over in 2008.
Next a look at CEOs from a different culture and with a different attitude. It’s not that the Japanese do everything right, but American CEOs could certainly use a dose of their humility.
Right up there with humility are the findings of the Center for Creative Leadership that found soft skills to be of major importance …read more