When it comes to storytelling in business, the most commonly used story archetype is that of the hero and their quest. Essentially, these stories involve a protagonist whose normal life is disrupted by some external change and subsequently goes on a journey in an attempt to resolve or improve the situation.

As the story progresses, the hero seeks the help of a guide or mentor to help them overcome the various obstacles in their path while keeping them on track to reaching their destination. By the end of their quest, the hero not only attains an outcome which serves to improve things, but they also realize that they’ve been transformed as a result of their adventure, having gained a greater understanding of themselves and the nature of their journey.

It’s not too surprising that this particular story archetype is often used in business to communicate ideas or a new vision as it serves to reinforce our perception of leadership. Namely, how leaders address the challenges that stand in the way of their organization’s success by taking their team on a journey defined by their vision or plans for change.

Also, given the fact that it’s the decisions and choices made by those in leadership positions which ultimately determines whether an organization will be successful or not, it’s only natural that we view leaders as playing the role of the hero in an organization’s story. And yet, a closer examination of the hero’s story described above reveals that the real hero Click here to continue reading »”Identifying The Real Hero In Your Organization’s Story”

As more organizations continue to shift their approach from recovery to growth, there’s naturally a growing concern developing about the potential risk of losing their key talent to competitors, as well as how to attract the talent they need to help their organization strengthen their competitive edge.

In most cases, these discussions tend to focus either on discovering key talent within your organization or how to attract the talent you need to join your team. Unfortunately, these strategies tend to be limited in scope and can cause leaders to overlook the advantages of developing their employees to meet the evolving needs of their organization.

One of the most effective ways to do this – with the added bonus of increasing employee retention – is by offering training programs. By offering such programs, employees are given the opportunity to not only refine and develop their skills in order to be more effective in their roles, but it also encourages them to take the time to evaluate their career goals and come up with ideas of how their organization can help them to achieve them.

Granted, one of the reasons why most employers are reluctant to provide employee training is because they fear that they will lose the investment made through such efforts if their employees leave the organization to work elsewhere. However, such fears don’t Click here to continue reading »”Are You Employing This Tool To Fuel Your Organization’s Growth?”

Regardless of whether the economy is going well or not, one thing that’s remained consistent in the workplace over the last few decades is the reality that each of us is responsible for managing our careers and with it, the opportunities we obtain for professional growth and development. But how exactly do we obtain these opportunities to get ahead in our career? That’s the focus of my conversation with executive coach and writer Joel Garfinkle in this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”.

Joel has been recognized as one of the Top 50 leadership coaches in the US, having worked with executives from many leading companies including Oracle, Google, Amazon, Ritz-Carlton, and Gap. He has also been featured in a number of respected media outlets such as ABC News, The New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

Joel has written seven books including his latest “Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level” in which he discusses the three key steps you should take to ensure you get those opportunities and promotions you need to move ahead in your career.

Over the course of our conversation, Joel and I discuss:

• How to get over our fear of increasing our visibility at work so we can ensure those in charge are aware of the value of our contributions.
• Why we need to speak up more and share our thoughts and ideas at meetings and the benefits we’ll gain from doing so.
• How we can find out how others perceive us and what we can do to ensure we’re creating the perceptions we need to get ahead.
• The importance and value of getting feedback to help you increase your visibility and influence in your organization.
• What it means to be influential and how it’s not dependent on what title/position you have.

As I mentioned at the end of the show, Click here to continue reading »”Leadership Biz Cafe Podcast #7 – Joel Garfinkle On How To Get Ahead In Your Career”

As this week marks the official start of Spring for most northern countries, I wanted to take the opportunity to revisit an idea I wrote about sometime ago about a seasonal event in these parts and the lessons we can glean from it on leadership and organizational success.

In addition to the appearance of the first seedlings in our gardens, one of the most emblematic symbols of the arrival in Spring in this area is the return of Canada geese flying in V-formation across the sky. Although I’ve discussed the lessons on teamwork and collaboration that we can learn from this seasonal migration, seeing these birds in flight over the weekend brought to mind some additional lessons we can apply in how we serve those we have the responsibility to lead.

1. Encourage your employees to develop their skills
One of the reasons why Canada geese fly in V-formation is in order to help reduce air drag, where the birds at the front essentially reduce the air resistance so that the birds at the back of the flock have an easier time flying.

Naturally, this means that the birds in the front expend the most energy flying and consequently, experience fatigue before the other birds do. This is the reason why this particular bird formation shifts so much as the other birds move up to take the lead, giving the birds who were flying at the front a chance to rest and recuperate.

It’s a smart strategy as it not only allows the birds to share the workload, but it also ensures that the flock is not dependent on a few strong birds to help them fly over the great distances of their migratory path.

When it comes to managing your team or organization, Click here to continue reading »”A Springtime Leadership Lesson From The Birds”