For business leaders, “strength in the middle” refers to the core competency, supervisory and leadership skills of their middle managers. The strength of your middle management team correlates directly with sustained organizational success.
Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D.
Research into CEOs of the most successful privately held businesses reveals several common themes. Among them is a relentless focus on how they spend their time and, perhaps more importantly, what they choose to ignore.
Recently, I was invited to lead a Zoom-based discussion on the topic of leadership. A list of questions was prepared in advance of our one-hour session. Here are a few of the questions.
I was once asked at a leadership seminar for the key to attracting and retaining superior talent. “Don’t hire jerks” was my reply. That got a quick laugh but a serious and robust discussion on the topic ensued. Is your hiring process robust enough to spot “jerks?"
As I continue to work with and study the most enduringly successful CEO’s, owners, and senior executives some surprisingly consistent traits continue to emerge.
One-on-one meetings provide a valuable opportunity for focused, meaningful input, feedback, and sharing of pertinent information. By following an important three-step approach, you’ll bring needed structure and get far better outcomes from your time together.
One of the most straightforward calls to action I have ever heard goes like this: Do what you can, with what you have, from where you are and start now. But how can you improve something if you don’t know where you stand now?
While senior executives understand and acknowledge the need for open, honest feedback, some are perplexed by the nature of anonymous comments and complaints filed by team members. The practice of allowing or encouraging anonymous feedback from employees has as many opponents as it does supporters.
As we move away from the uncertainty and disruption of 2020, there is tepid optimism that somehow 2021 will be better. As business leaders look to increase the level of clarity and confidence in their organization, getting a better understanding of internal obstacles is a good place to start.
With all that has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing that has continued (albeit in a different format) is the need to conduct meetings.
One thing that is certain during the current COVID-19 situation, is that there will be challenges never seen before. What is a leader to do? A good place to start is by giving consideration to stakeholders--those who would feel a profound sense of loss if the enterprise went away.
