Last spring my son was working as an intern at our company. One day he came into my office and asked, “What is the one book on leadership I should read?” My mind raced. There are just so darn many. Of course, I am a fan of Leading at A Higher Level, which outlines a…
Leaders who have experienced coaching can easily state their opinion about whether or not the development strategy had a positive impact. After all, effective coaching can be the best experience leaders have ever had in terms of supporting their own development and growth. But actually measuring the impact of leader growth can be tough. For…
More and more organizations are leveraging coaching internally. Whether it’s a manager coaching for performance, an HR business partner coaching for development, or a designated coach in the organization working with a variety of people, coaching helps people perform at their best. To be effective, coaches at every level need to follow five principles. Failure…
What were the personal challenges readers wanted to know more about? Scroll down to see the top five including the number one question for 2016. Got a question for Madeleine? Use the email link below. And be sure to join us when Ask Madeleine returns with a whole new set of reader questions beginning next week. …
Blanchard ignite! brings learning, leadership, and talent development professionals free online resources each month plus a deep dive into a hot leadership topic. Subscriptions are free (use the link on the right.) Check out these top articles from recent issues! IMPROVING LEADERSHIP ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME Executive coach Madeleine Blanchard held the phone to her…
This post is by Paul Murphy, Director of Channel Sales, Asia-Pacific. Since China really started opening up to inbound investment over the last 30-plus years, there have been numerous stories of how challenging it can be for foreign executives to lead local staff in China. We have created a certain mystique about this concept and…
Have you ever had a leader or associate mention that if you ever needed them, their door was always open? And it was. But it turned out later, they were never in there. Or, they were in there, but they were always busy, maybe because they were studying spreadsheets or some other stimulating thing. Or,…
Whether it is caused by flooding in Alberta, snowstorms in Washington D.C., or fires in California, the need for clear continuity of operations plans (COOP) has brought renewed emphasis on telework and virtual working. Unfortunately, too many organizations jump into telework without a clear understanding of what is necessary for a successful telecommuting initiative. Here…
Last week I met with a group of sales managers for a national retailer that is doing very well. Turnover is low. Same-store sales have been outpacing their peer group for five years. Quarterly and annual financials have been excellent. The question they were asking was, “How do we keep our people motivated?” I asked…
Even if you’re fully present during a challenging conversation, the person you’re speaking with may not get the full benefit if your physical behavior does not demonstrate it. Being fully present—and showing it—demonstrates that you care and that you are interested in working together to resolve the matter at hand. You demonstrate you are fully…