Read more about the article “Stars don’t work for idiots.”
thinking about leadership and how directing companies

“Stars don’t work for idiots.”

I love this statement, apparently made by HR guru, John Sullivan of San Francisco State University. It comes from a post about the resignation of Steve Jobs in The Harvard Business Review http://blogs.hbr.org/taylor/2011/08/why_steve_jobs_matters_to_you.html and how it encourages us to think about the legacy we ourselves will lead behind.

“Stars don’t work for idiots” a stark sentence yet full of meaning got me thinking about leadership and how many “idiots” there are, unfortunately, currently directing companies.

How many people are in positions of leadership simply because they excelled at a technical skill or because they happened to know someone who provided the famous “enchufe”? It really alarms me when I speak to reputable business people here in Spain who time after time lament that the overall standard of top directors leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to leadership and people management skills. (more…)

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Read more about the article The new depths of motivation
The new depths of motivation - Business LEarning Solutions

The new depths of motivation

“When it comes to motivation, there’s a gap between what science knows and what business does.

Our current business operating system – which is built around external, carrot-and-stick motivators – doesn’t work and often does harm. We need an upgrade. And the science shows the way. This new approach has three essential elements:

  1. AUTONOMY – the desire to direct our own lives
  2. MASTERY the urge to get better and better at something that matters
  3. PURPOSE –  the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves”

That’s a summary from a great book I’ve just read about motivation called Drive by Daniel H. Pink. http://www.danpink.com/drive and it really struck a chord with me. (more…)

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Read more about the article Your most important relationship…
Your most important relationship is you - Business Learning Solutions

Your most important relationship…

I’ve got back from giving a three day managment skills course –  Great group, so very enjoyable. I’m  on my own right now and it’s just struck me how much I NEED to be on my own after spending three days away. Training in itself can be quite exhausting, you give out so much energy, you’re “on stage” and the attention is on you for most of the time, so it’s vital to recharge your batteries.

But how many of us don’t consider how much of our core energy is being sucked away in our daily interactions with people?  How many people don’t consider the importance of “me time”, of being on your own, of only doing what you feel like doing regardless of the rest of the world. (more…)

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Read more about the article Do you need to take more risks?
take more risks - business learning solutions

Do you need to take more risks?

Life’s full of risks isn’t it?

When we take risks we feel invigorated, we feel anticipation often tinged with a sense of discomfort becauses we’re not sure what the outcome will be. But how boring life would be if we were sure of the outcome of our actions at every step of the way.

Small risks, big risks – it really boils down to taking intelligent risks as opposed to stupid risks, and ultimately, what your personal risk profile is. Entrepreneurs are traditionally regarded as risk takers, I guess that’s so by definition. We like to be on the edge (to a sensible degree) and to get out of our comfort zones (again to a sensible degree – if we start to get into a panic zone instead, we’ve obviously taken a less than intelligent risk for where we are in our personal development at that moment) (more…)

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