I understand why “soft skills” are called “soft”. They’re intangible, immeasurable, and for the most unconscious among us, ignorable.
Just because I understand why some people describe these skills as “soft” doesn’t mean I like it. These skills aren’t soft at all. They don’t comfort us like a pillow, they don’t pad [...]
Those of you averse to goals and especially New Year’s resolutions, try branding your year instead. Branding your year means giving it an image, identity or an essence that will serve to guide you.
Here are some tips for successful branding.
Choose something that is “up” for you, so that it’s easy to remember [...]
This article was written by Rachel Conerly of Collaborative Leaders, Inc.
Many have tried to democratize their workplace by becoming “flatter” and working in teams. Yet power and authority remain the currency. Accumulate enough power and authority in a hierarchical system, and you’ll get something accomplished and “win.”
But hierarchy concentrates power and authority in a few people [...]
As my dad and I poured over our 1500-piece sailboat jigsaw puzzle this past holiday break, the metaphors between what we were doing and true leadership ran continuously through my mind. I’m amazed at what paying attention to these metaphors can teach us about our own leadership qualities and how to run a team or business.
Here [...]
Many of the claims about Generation Y, the Millennials, are true. I can say that because I am one.
What is NOT true are the assumptions and reasoning behind the claims. These claims are made with envy and resentment, in effect an expression by older generations of the mournful loss of an old paradigm that is [...]
Here I am at Starbucks, and I really have to pee. Trouble is, I’m all by myself. I could ask the woman next to me to watch my laptop, but I hesitate on that for awhile because I don’t even know her. What makes me think I can trust her? Or that [...]
Everything I read about leadership, especially in and around Silicon Valley, talks about “managing up” and climbing the corporate ladder. You would think that since Silicon Valley is on the cutting edge of everything else, it would be getting this right.
When Gen Y walks up to the bottom of that ladder, do we [...]
