How to Avoid Being a Fake Positive Leader

There are sessions taught in some companies these days on “Executive Presence.” Such courses help high-potential employees to walk, talk, and look like a leader is meant to look. Whatever that is. Ugh. All too often, programs like these emphasize techniques people can employ to create a certain impression, rather than their underlying leadership principles … Read moreHow to Avoid Being a Fake Positive Leader

What Positive Leadership is Not

It drives me nuts. Few things make me crazier than when people misunderstand what it means to be “positive” in the workplace, and then project that misunderstanding onto others. Many people interpret positive leaders as being “nice” or “happy” all the time. While this may be true, being nice and happy all the time is … Read moreWhat Positive Leadership is Not

Healing Spaces: Values and Politics at Work

This is a time of strong emotions and opinions in the United States. Most likely this is true around the world. How do we create workspaces where people can express and have dialogue about how they are feeling, without alienating others who may not feel the same way? This is a different kind of column … Read moreHealing Spaces: Values and Politics at Work

Can You Create Change From the Bottom Up?

An interview with the awesome Michelle McQuaid. Originally at www.michellemcquaid.com   Do you lack the authority to create the kind of positive changes you’d love to see in your workplace? Have you tried to get leaders on board and had no luck? What if there was a formula that helped you fly under-the-radar and create the … Read moreCan You Create Change From the Bottom Up?

In Defense of Doers

Leadership experts make it sound easy: “Follow these simple steps and you will have amazing results!” The typical format is somewhat formulaic. With poise and pithy quotes, we deliver our sticky stories. We boil down thousands of hours of research and experience into a set of snazzy slides and talking points. When they go well, … Read moreIn Defense of Doers

Three ways to work better together

Are you looking for research-based ways to increase quality, efficiency, financial, safety, customer engagement, and worker well-being? Perhaps even enhance learning and innovation? What could be the fuel that facilitates these diverse and important outcomes? When we think about ways to improve, we often look at what things we can do additionally. However, fewer of … Read moreThree ways to work better together

How to motivate people? Don’t do it yourself.

How do you motivate employees to greater levels of engagement and productivity? Maybe you shouldn’t try to do it yourself. For many people, the popular TV show The Office strikes just a little too close to the reality of their day-to-day experience. It is funny because it is true. Consider this example: manager Michael Scott … Read moreHow to motivate people? Don’t do it yourself.

Interview with David Burkus

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200601352″ params=”color=ff5500″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] In this interview, we talk about how to make even large, established companies a force for good through social intrapreneurship. Originally at http://davidburkus.com/2015/04/0608-chris-white/  

Could your calling be all around you?

Today, students and professionals are hungering for purpose. Rarely a day goes by without experiencing some manifestation of the great search for meaning in work that is currently underway. Sometimes it appears in the frustration of a loved one about her boredom at work; she wants to contribute more — and more meaningfully. Other times … Read moreCould your calling be all around you?

Four Ways to Create a Giver Culture

Imagine coming to work each morning feeling cared for and supported as a professional—and as a human being. When you  are having a hard time, need information, help with problem, or some good advice, your coworkers are there, freely offering their assistance. If necessary, they tap their networks inside and outside the company to find … Read moreFour Ways to Create a Giver Culture