Commentary

In a 1998 report designed to train officers for the twenty-first century, the United States War College presaged a world that is “volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous” —VUCA, for short. VUCA describes perfectly what is happening in the global business world today. With the events of 2016—Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, threats from terrorists […]

Sales leaders would do well to carefully and intentionally set goals for themselves. To know the psychology associated with goal setting is a good motivation and can help them not flounder. Understanding that goals for sales are similar to any goal helps in the ease of setting and keeping them. As always, feedback is important

After reading the account published yesterday by Susan Fowler about the sexual harassment she confronted at Uber, I feel disturbed, distressed and angry. Not only was this course of action a clear affront to Fowler, but it also was a recipe for ongoing disaster for Uber. If the company had taken clear and decisive action

Apparently there is more to becoming a CEO than just an ivy league education and impeccable work experiences. Studies have shown that male CEO’s have a certain look, not necessarily looks that would be considered handsome but more facial features that are considered distinguished and competent. Looks of CEO’s included sharper features, and square jaws,

There are three takeaways that Cisco’s CEO wants you to take away from its breakaway quarter. Shares of Cisco Systems fell initially fell in after hours trade when the company reported their second quarter results. However, they then hit rarely charted highs once the investors realized that it was actually a strong quarter. Key Takeaways:

As your company grows the relationship you have with your employees will change. This can make it difficult to grow you company. There are some steps to keep your relationships with your employees alive. Make sure you keep them a part of the growth and development of the company. Make your business last. Key Takeaways:

A national conversation was started with Sheryl Sandburg’s Lean in however she is not the first to bring up gender inequality in our workplace. Daina Middletown brings up many of the same concerns in her book Grace Meets Grit: How to Bring Out the Remarkable, Courageous Leader Within. Middletown is the Head of Leadership at

When it comes to achieving goals, sometimes people bite off way more than they can chew. The result? Frustration In a Facebook Live for The Goal Standard Challenge, high-performance coach Todd Herman shares the importance of getting in the flow and how it can lead to successfully achieving your goals. Key Takeaways: Frustration is the

Every year, Americans celebrate Presidents Day as a day of remembrance — a day to look back and learn from our nation’s greatest leaders. In today’s competitive market, business leaders are looking for the edge that will put their organization and workforce ahead of the curve.So let’s dust off our history books and take a

There is a reason why you will never do your best work all by yourself. People may think that one artist, or creator acts alone, but they need others in order to make that vision come true. The greatest artist of all time have had people teach them their craft. Although we may think people

It can be very challenging to be an innovation leader. In a corporate structure, leaders are responsible for both encouraging innovation in the people who work below them in the organization while also driving leadership at the top. Here are five skills that are essential to helping you meet this particular challenge. Key Takeaways: Innovation

With all of the tumult in the air, everyone could use a big dose of hygge right about now.Clear your mind and picture this: cashmere socks and a crackling fire on a rainy day. Candles and shearling slippers. A warm latte with milk-foam heart. Pastries and sheepskin rugs.Cozy and comforting, right? That’s the Danish concept

Motivating employees is one major task that every company needs to face. There are many ideas out there on how exactly to motivate employees. A recent study of 50 Fortune 1000 companies showed that motivation starts really well at the beginning of employment, but rapidly declines after six months of working with their managers. Many

You don’t have to be an early bird to be successful in business. If you just can’t function early it’s best to accept that fact and change your routine to be successful. Just do menial tasks in the morning and during the day, don’t expend energy or brain power when you aren’t ready. Whenever you

If you feel like you could be more productive, you are not alone. Many of us tell ourselves we are going to get more done and then get distracted. The first steps you need to overcome are to stop making excuses and letting others make you afraid to be more progressive. Plan to get something

Companies have lots of hard and fast policies for their employees and some are much more ‘hands-off’ than others. Read the reasons why this company ‘forces’ it employees to travel and use its own product and review/rate that product for its own customers. Any small business can apply these principles to its own policies. Key

Being a leader is hard. What kind of leader you are can make or break the company for which you work. So, what is the secret to being a good leader? Show your employees that you care. They won’t care about your leadership if you don’t first show them that you are on their side.

Warren Buffett knows a lot about business so if he recommends a skill you should definitely pay attention. He isn’t exactly doing badly himself and it’s sure to be a skill he has. Read this if you want sound business advice from someone competent and well versed on the subject. There’s no one better you

There’s a popular quote that goes something like, “People are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water.” It’s a sentiment that’s been tested. Dr. Randall Bell, author of “Me We Be Do: The Four Cornerstones of Success,” has consulted as an economist on hundreds of

It is commonly thought that sales and marketing are two very different areas of business, but they share more than we might realize. By dispelling these five myths about sales and marketing, you can grow a strong business together and meet your goals in a more empowering way. From the myth of sales and marketing

Networking is a very important function for achieving the business growth. Attending networking events will help in this regard, but it is important to identify the high-value events from that of low-value events. Low-value events are waste of time and resources. High-value events increase the potential for growing the business and it can be identified

This article covers 9 techniques for sending emails to prospective clients that will translate into business. The tips cover getting straight to the point about the value of the email, stain away from trite sales subject lines, using common friendly language, keep it short, know your business, read it as a buyer and do not

There are eight Foundational leadership lessons from an air force veteran turned SEO. There are a very few leadership transitions like being a brand new commissioned officer in the military. There is a lot of opportunity for a young person in the military to develop their career and become something more. Key Takeaways: There are

Everyone has a coworker who tries to be the boss. It is annoying and you just want to tell the person you do not want to hear from them. But, there are ways to deal with them. Speaking up in the moment is one thing you can do. It’s hard to not be silent, but

The immigration ban that Donald Trump has championed means a lot for businesses. The ban will keep people from certain countries out of America for a certain period of time. It is important to avoid a ban because that is the way a lot of businesses make money. The order even has an impact on

When the people at the top of a business have these leadership identity crises, those in the middle on down find it difficult to begin their journey to develop their personal brands and value propositions. As a result, too many leaders have been acting inauthentically, managing by the templates of old, and cannot evolve to

One billionaire founder will fire people because they do not tell him what he is doing wrong. Ray Dalio is the name of the man who will do this. He has been called the Steve Jobs of investing and he seems like a regular guy because he wants to be treated like everyone else. He

In his book, The Inclusion Paradox, Andres Tapia, an expert in workplace solutions and diversity and inclusion, and my Korn Ferry colleague makes a clear and critical distinction between diversity and inclusion for leaders. They made changes in internal policies, put these into place through actions of inclusion around the world, created more open environments,

Having a point is the most important aspect of any written communication. The point should be interesting, novel, and firm. Leaders need to decide where they stand on an issue, then act on that stance. Press releases from leaders need to be innovative, and they have to lead to action. Business owners are in a

Planning a budget for a proposal can be done in five easy steps. A proposal budget is a lot similar to a project budget and the only difference is the main goal. A proposal budget is all about gaining trust. It is aimed at showing g you have a grasp on the plan you are

Feelings of lethargy or overall anxiety about how we are functioning at work can be commonplace. There are times where individuals feel that their performance is falling or needs an improvement. There are several steps that individuals can take to counteract this feeling. They include talking with someone at work who is not going to

Jonah Peretti, who is the founder and CEO of the popular website BuzzFeed, was once a staffer at the Huffington Post. During this time there, he learned the importance of making meaningful human connections with colleagues and those he came across. He explains how this philosophy results in his vitality and accounts for much of

The Tradeoffs of Structural and Cultural Embeddedness, which will be soon be published in the American Sociological Review, looks at the relationship between success in a company and whether an employee changes their behavior in line with company culture or not. Those most likely to s\ucceed were the assimilated brokers and the integrated nonconformists, suggesting

What do you do when your business does not match your values? The book industry has a lot wrong with it and there are many injustices that people face who want to do the right thing in that industry. The industry says they stand for one thing, while they become hypocrites and publish exactly what

There are so many good women coders. However, there is a lot of talent to be found there and the reason that numbers are biased is not because there is a lack of talent. The programming culture is male dominated and there are so many dedicated and talented women coders that just need to be

If you live in an area where your accent is unique, it can sometimes make you self-conscious. However, a unique accent can actually get you noticed more in a good way, and lead to new opportunities. The first thing to do when embracing your accent is to stop trying to change. If you have an

Career burnouts are tough. They can face you with questions about what is next and motivation can seem like a ghost of the past. There are three regular types of burnout, frenetic burnout, underchallenged burnout and worn-out burnout. The third one is pretty self explanatory. Frenetic burnout is when you work too hard and become

A recent study revealed that while 41% of organizations recognize the importance of defining leadership requirements, only 8% actually define specific expectations for their leaders. Embed expectations for leaders into your business’ ecosystem. It won’t be of much value for leaders to know what is required of them if these expectations aren’t built into the