Category Archives: Leading Change

Recognizing Talent – key traits for hiring and promoting

"It's not about whether candidates have the right skills, it's [more] about whether they have the potential to learn new ones."    - Claudio Fernández-Aráoz To recruit, promote and keep talent, it turns out that adaptability, capacity to learn, and constructive use of imagination are more important than knowledge.  Einstein was right.  But the master skill of "learning how to learn" can be Continue Reading ...

New Rules for Communication @ Work

By Daniel Robin This article describes a set of new rules for effective workplace communication in an ever-changing economy. It assumes that you are part of a high-performing organization that values innovation, participation (collaborative vs. command-and-control styles of leadership), mutual accountability and, to some extent, sustainability. Doesn’t sound like your workplace? Perhaps that’s Continue Reading ...

Collaborative Workplace Advantage

By Daniel Robin In our workshops, we emphasize the skills of participatory management and collaborative leadership.  With collaborative approaches - in contrast with one-way, autocratic or dictatorial - leaders at all levels use an inclusive style that balances assertiveness (focus on goal or task achievement) with gaining cooperation and commitment (flexibility and consideration in relating to Continue Reading ...

Difficult Behaviors at Work: Part 1

The Difficulty with Difficult People (Who, no rx me?) By Daniel Robin Each of us has a "difficult" person hiding inside. Some have it well hidden and only let it out on rare occasions – unleashing it at the driver of another car, viagra or during competitive sports, capsule or as a familiar loop with a family member. Still others, despite best efforts at self-control, are just one step away from Continue Reading ...

Fear: Part 3

Three Faces of Fear in the Workplace By Daniel Robin The previous article brought workplace fear into the spotlight – not so we could keep a watchful eye on it while getting paranoid, ambulance but so we can begin to turn it into mutual gain. How? Understand it’s many faces: this article pinpoints the types of fear that zap productivity and cause needless suffering, sale providing tools Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 16

The Link Between Ethics and Culture By Daniel Robin In a prior article, we viewed integrity as a call to push back on the cultural epidemic of obsessive speed, greed, and creed – that is, how our quest for prosperity and “market advantage” can reinforce assumptions and beliefs that justify cheating, mistreating and defeating the other guy. There’s nothing wrong with a competitive spirit Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 15

Working With Integrity – The Art of Being Your Word By Daniel Robin At work, “being your word” requires vigilant attention to your own boundaries, using all your interpersonal skills, and watching out for double binds.  It also takes a decent amount of courage and a compassionate commitment to constant learning.  So cut yourself some slack.  Nobody, not even those with the utmost of integrity, Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 14

The "Grit" of Integrity By Daniel Robin This article explores the vital yet often-overlooked leadership challenge of integrity. When I recently mentioned to an executive friend that I was writing about this topic, he half-smiled. "Thanks for the warning," he whispered, feigning nervousness.  Integrity has become a serious subject in Corporate America (and elsewhere).  This article highlights Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 13

Dealing with Differences in a World of Diversity By Daniel Robin This article outlines a process for dealing with adversarial behavior in others. Adversary, or “enemy stance,” usually results from escalating a difference of some sort – making a progressively bigger and bigger deal out of differing views on priorities, goals, or methods. One or both parties make that difference into a problem, Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 12

Control Isn't Even for the Birds By Daniel Robin This article series outlines a process for shifting away from the need to control and into guiding, organizing and structuring work so that the desired results are obtained with less effort and more reliably in the long-run.  See the prior articles in this series at ABetterWorkplace.com/leadership. Part 1:  Letting Go Into Structure Increasingly, Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 11

Dealing with Aggressive Leaders -- One Dirty Look at a Time By Daniel Robin “If you aren’t going to finish the project, just tell me so I can find someone who will!”  The edge in Tony’s voice has a chilling effect on the room.  Paula indicates that the project is coming along just fine – under the circumstances – and gives Tony a look that suggests that a staff meeting is not the Continue Reading ...

Leadership in Action Series: Part 10

Four Steps to Handling Aggressive Impulses By Daniel Robin This article series outlines a process for dealing with hostile or aggressive impulses in yourself and others while staying true to the good intentions they rode in on.  See the prior two articles on this topic, the broader series Action in Leadership or our coursework at ABetterWorkplace.com/leadership. Some leaders get heavy-handed Continue Reading ...