Board alignment with the CEO is a critical component of a high-performing board of directors. Opinions vary on the definition of what constitutes a high-performing board, but the topic of building and leveraging a board comes up in my consulting practice regularly. The CEO skill set needs to include the ability to get board buy-in. Here are a few highlights: Trust The … [Read more...]
The Strength of Approachability in Business
In the business environment today, women often fight for leadership opportunities. It’s been a man’s world, and according to recent statistics, it still is. So, for many women, climbing the corporate ladder and claiming an office in the C-Suite requires tenacity, fortitude, and thick skin. Women find that showing strength through resilience and the ability to make tough … [Read more...]
The Wisdom of Asking Questions: A Unique Board of Directors Perspective
There is wisdom in asking questions. This idea is based on the premise that it's difficult, if not impossible, to give proper guidance without asking the proper questions. Boards that create extraordinary value design an environment that encourages rich dialog. By asking astute questions, board members heighten their effectiveness in numerous ways. Four of the key ways … [Read more...]
Top 10 Director Reads on the Web for 3Q 2014
To compile a “best reads” list for corporate directors and director candidates is a challenge that keeps me on the cutting edge. Following are my recommended "best reads" for the third quarter of 2014. Feel free to just review the list, provide feedback on what you like and challenge what you feel is not worthy of the list---maybe even make suggestions about what to read … [Read more...]
Diversity: The Key Ingredient to Building a High Performance Team
Sponsored by Visa Business: A high performance team is defined as one that operates with a common purpose, common goals, mutual respect, trust, and commitment. A high performance team goes beyond participation to collaboration where team members work together interactively to achieve common goals by capitalizing on each member’s unique skills, knowledge, and abilities to … [Read more...]
Hey Ladies: Get Confident
Looking for companies with a culture accepting of women in senior roles is critical but so too is your own level of confidence. Women still have a long way to go evidently. According to the results from the Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) Innovation Economy Outlook 2014 survey, which focused exclusively on the representation of women in technology leadership positions, less than … [Read more...]
Onboarding: Advice for New Directors and “Fit” With the Board
One way to help with onboarding a new director is to focus not just on skills but also on cultural fit—how well will the new director fit with the way their fellow directors work. New directors and sitting directors can become more effective and influential by examining these three ideas: 1) The difference between the actual role and the expectations the new director has … [Read more...]
How To Be A Better Business Leader – 5 Top Tips
Failure and financial disasters are operational hazards as far as company directors are concerned and it is only those of us who can overcome setbacks that really stand a chance of becoming truly excellent business leaders. With that in mind, here are some simple but hopefully helpful tips on how we all might improve our business leadership skills: 1. Be proactive as a … [Read more...]
Do You Inspire Trust at Work?
Trust is a popular buzzword in the workplace today. Organizational management gurus are quick to tell us that workplace trust is an essential ingredient for improving profitability and building an engaged employee culture. How can you inspire trust among your employees? It starts with the leadership. Here are three tips to help you inspire trust at work: 1. Model respect … [Read more...]
Tips to be an Effective Team Leader: Lessons from West Point
In today’s work force, being an effective team leader is essential, but making certain that teams produce high quality results can be tricky. There is no one recipe for creating highly productive teams, but I have advice to offer based on what I have learned from my two sons who attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. At this institution, the corps of … [Read more...]