As we slowly approach the end of another year, there is once again a discernible feeling of anticipation for what the upcoming year will bring. In many ways, this is quite natural and expected since, like a present wrapped in shiny paper, the start of a new year often stirs a sense of optimism that better times and new opportunities for recovery, growth and development await us just around the corner.

While leaders use the end of the year to focus on developing plans for what they need to achieve in the new year, it’s also important that they not lose sight of the lessons learned over the course of the previous one. Indeed, the successes and failures incurred over the past twelve months can provide a wealth of insights that can help leaders chart a clearer path towards their organization’s goals, provided that they take the time to reflect and review on what came out of these past outcomes.

With this in mind, here are ten questions leaders can ask to reflect and assess both their own performance and that of their employees, and how they can ensure that their team remains focused and driven toward reaching their shared goals: Click here to continue reading »”10 Questions to Help Leaders Prepare for the New Year”

Several weeks ago, I received a review copy of Dr. Brenda Shoshanna’s latest book “Fearless”. Dr. Shoshanna is a practising psychologist and therapist and has made appearances on national television networks ABC, CBS, and MSNBC, as well in numerous publications including Boardroom, Mental Health News, and Publisher’s Weekly.

Although her book looks at managing fear from the lens of personal self-improvement, I found that many of the ideas and concepts she shares in her book relate directly to the issues leaders face in managing their organizations. As such, instead of writing a review of her book, I invited Dr. Shoshanna to discuss with me some of the ideas she shares in her book and what leaders and businesses can learn from them.

TN: In your book “Fearless”, you write about changing our perception of fear and of the resistance many of us create, consciously or otherwise, when faced with the idea of change.  In fact, there’s an interesting line you wrote about change – “Change is a gift. Change is a friend” (p.35) . I think not just in personal life, but in business, change can be hard for many to openly accept.

People are programmed, deeply programmed, to want to keep everything the same. And that gives a sense of security, but really it’s a false sense of security because while you’re trying to keep everything the same all the time, life is nothing but change. It’s a kind of rigidity. The way to be most successful in your business and your work is learning how to be resilient and spontaneous and fluid; to be able to really live with change, to flow with circumstances, to be present for what’s happening right now. That’s the real art of it.

And when you’re flooded by fear, or when you’re flooded by anxiety, you can’t be present for what’s really needed right now in this moment. You might be living in the past or living in the future, or strategizing how it’s going to work out. But the real way to succeed is to be here fully and see what’s needed, what’s happening, and respond in a way that’s really on target.

TN: From a rational, intellectual point of view, I think most of us can agree that change is a natural part of life and business, and how being highly adaptive is a key trait for success. And yet, many still struggle with change, even when Click here to continue reading »”Managing Fear and Change in the Workplace”

I’ve been noticing a trend lately among certain business writers where they suggest that changes to the current business model will occur mainly as a consequence of the Millennial generation (or Gen Y) joining the workforce. From their vantage point, the social attitudes and upbringing of this next generation of workers will force companies to change how they do business, changes which will somehow ensure that we don’t repeat the mistakes which brought forth the Great Recession upon our economic shores.

While it’s nice to view the next generation of workers with this sense of optimism in regards to the contributions they can make to our organizations, the reality is that such drastic changes are unlikely to happen simply because Millennials are joining the workforce. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine any of us taking too well to having a new team member coming in and immediately telling us what we’re doing wrong and how we should be doing things. Those in leadership positions know only too well how behaving in such a manner is a sure way to encourage either disengagement or the departure of participants from your team.

Of course, it’s not the first time various business thinkers have cautioned business owners to brace for the coming tidal wave brought forth by the arrival of a new generation into the workplace. When the Gen X generation joined the workforce, there were many who were espousing Click here to continue reading »”Do Businesses Need the Millennials to Implement Change?”

Have you ever had a project or idea that you dream about doing and yet, you find yourself struggling to find the drive to get started?  It’s a dilemma many of us have faced at one point or another.  In fact, I know of a few people who right now are facing this very problem of having plans they can’t seem to put into motion.  So what’s behind this inertia, this inability to dive in and pursue those dreams we hold so dear?

One factor that comes to mind is our fear of failure.  As these plans or ideas are something we aspire to do, there’s understandably a greater need to succeed.  Of course, what this also means is that we end up giving ourselves even less room to fail.  However, there’s a simple truth that would help us overcome any concerns about failing.   Click here to continue reading »”Finding The Courage To Take That First Step”