Below are five of the news and opinion items about leadership that made an impression on me last month. It’s tempting to include articles about the party nomination races as we gear up for a presidential election here in the U.S. but the more I watch, the less real leadership I think there is! Let’s stick to business, shall we? Grab a cup of coffee, relax a few minutes, and enjoy.
- In “The Right Way To Fire Someone” published on HBR.org, Rebecca Knight shares some great advice about handling employment terminations. Bookmark the link, share it with your team, and read it again as you approach this difficult conversation with a team member. I love that compassion and respect are the focus of one of the case studies.
- Fast Company published “7 Scientifically Proven Habits of Charismatic Leaders” by David Hoffeld. He makes the point that “charisma is less an inborn trait than a quality everyone can develop, by practicing a few key behaviors until they become habitual.” Read the article to learn what those habits are.
- Geoff Colvin shared “3 Leadership Lessons From Warren Buffett” in his article published on Fortune.com. Just as important as the three lessons are the narrative supporting them. It’s a short but interesting read. Take the extra minute to watch the accompanying video as well.
- Inc.com and Anna Hensel offered some important food for thought in “The Dark Side of the Leadership Industry.” First, when did leadership become an industry? Do we hold leaders to an impossible standard? Do we expect heroes and, therefore, overlook otherwise qualified and effective leaders? Ponder this one.
- I love books and book clubs as a segment of leadership development initiatives. Reading is a good habit to develop and book clubs invite a comfortable exchange of ideas and important relationship building. John Coleman of HBR.org agrees. Read his article, “Why Businesspeople Should Join Book Clubs” and consider a book club at your organization.
That’s the February top five. I hope you find them as interesting as I did. Consider sharing the list with your team and then start a conversation to find out what they think.
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Photo credit: Newspapers B&W (5) by Jon S, used with Creative Commons license.
