By Marcia Zidle on September 16, 2013
All managers aspire to be better leaders — but what is it that makes a leader effective? The Leadership Code offers five pivotal rules that lay out how the leadership game is played. How well do you apply them to your day–to–day actions? 1. Strategist–Leaders shape the future As a strategist, you must answer the […]
By Marcia Zidle on September 10, 2013
The attitude “I don’t give a rip about my job” happens every single day. Is it happening in your company? Did you know that 5o% of workers today would rather be someplace else? And another 20% take out their frustration every day and may be doing more harm than good. What about your people? I have […]
By Marcia Zidle on August 22, 2013
A recent encounter got me thinking about inter-generational interactions and communication in the workplace. As a volunteer usher at a performing arts organization, I was given the wrong sign in sheet by young millennial who was chatting away with another staff member. Later, it was brought to my attention, by the same person, who said […]
By Marcia Zidle on August 6, 2013
“By and large, executives make poor hiring decision. By all accounts, their batting average is no better than .333. That means one-third of such decisions turn out right, one-third minimally effective and one-third outright failures. In no other area of management would we put up with such miserable performance” – Peter Drucker, leadership icon. Every […]
By Marcia Zidle on July 28, 2013
In Garrison Keillor’s fictional community of Lake Wobegon, “the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” As it turns out, this depiction is not limited to Lake Wobegon. One of the most documented findings in psychology is the average person’s ability to believe extremely flattering things about him or herself. […]
By Marcia Zidle on July 23, 2013
Great management is no accident. It’s the result of deliberate effort to focus on what’s important vs urgent. Managing values- what the business, firm or agency professes to stand for – is one of those important things. So many companies have a values statement on the wall. But ask any employee or even top managers what their values are […]
By Marcia Zidle on July 9, 2013
“I know I should delegate but: “I can do it faster…He won’t be able to get it done on time…she’s bound to make some mistakes.” These are things I’ve been hearing frequently from overworked, stressed out managers. I jokingly mentioned, in a recent presentation, if there was something in the air that’s causing this outbreak of “I […]
By Marcia Zidle on June 25, 2013
I’ve said many times: I’ve learned more from my failures than from my successes…and I’ve made some whoppers. Goof-ups, missteps, slip-ups and embarrassments are no reason to ring one’s hands and hang one’s head. In fact, our mistakes can be the most powerful teachers we have. The lessons we learn often stick with us for a […]
By Marcia Zidle on June 11, 2013
Most of us procrastinate at least occasionally and some of us do it consistently and problematically. So procrastination may be human but it’s not very rewarding in the long run for our leadership, business or career success. So why do we procrastinate? According to The Procrastination Equation: How To Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Things […]
By Marcia Zidle on May 28, 2013
Did you know that nearly half of all new leaders fail in the first 18 months? That’s according to the Center for Creative Leadership. Many of them were surprised to discover that what got them there — from working nonstop to sweating the small stuff — isn’t enough to keep them there. The Problem: Nine out of […]