When faced with ethical wrongdoing in the workplace or society, the Connection Culture element of “inspiring identity” (vision) is a powerful tool for leaders working to bring change, as history illustrates. In 1852, a writer living in New Brunswick, Maine, published a book that would be a catalyst to abolish slavery in America.1 Her publisher was...

Which would an organization rather have – a leader who enforces rules or one who builds relationships? Much management thinking over the generations has gravitated toward one end of the spectrum or another. There have been the heavy system and rules camp managers who pride themselves on the results-only method and an “I’m not here to make friends”...

The prevalence and extreme nature of star systems in organizations today contribute to widespread employee disconnection and disengagement, particularly among core employees. Employees can be regarded as stars, core employees, or strugglers. Stars are superior performers. They are either a part of senior management or on track to move up the organization’s...

We could all become better listeners. Most importantly, leaders must learn to really listen. Really listening means: Waiting for other(s) to finish speaking before speaking Keeping the focus of the conversation away from yourself Asking open ended and non-judging questions that are relevant to the conversation Giving advice sparingly, if at all...

It’s encouraging to see more leaders identify connection as a primary factor contributing to their organization’s sustained success. Fortune magazine recently recognized Theo Epstein, President, Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball and the Cubs organization, as #1 on its world’s greatest leaders list. Last year the Cubs...

Every day the spirits of millions of people die at the front door of their workplace. There is an epidemic of workers who are uninterested and disengaged from the work they do , and the cost to the U.S. economy has been pegged at over $300 billion annually. According to a recent survey from Deloitte, only 20% of people say they are truly passionate...