John Renesch, noted futurist and writer on social and organizational change, wrote a foreword to  Liberty’s book.  Renesch  quotes part of  it  in the May issue of  his newsletter,  FutureShapers Monthly.  ( The entire essay,   entitled Women at Work: Employing the Powerful Feminine is well worth a read;  its primary theme doesn’t concern us directly here but is a fascinating one. )

“Organizations, particularly business organizations,”  wrote Renesch, ” have unparalleled influence on our society today.  The business sector, and the economic system which fuels it, is the de facto leader of the industrialized world. This dramatic shift in global power away from traditional institutions like government has important implications. Never in human history has there been such a universal need for organizational leadership that acts responsibly for the good of all people. The hierarchical, top-down rule that dominated the Cold War era and the benevolent dictator models of some of today’s republics are equally unacceptable. A new, more mature leadership is needed — no, absolutely necessary — to assure that our children and grandchildren live in a time of greater civility, less apprehension about the survivability of the human race and greater compassion for all people on Earth.”

On somewhat similar lines,  management consultant Myra White,  in a recent article entitled  Seeking Competent Leaders,  poses a question that must  be  on the minds of many following  last year’s financial  debacle.  How did it happen that “may of the business leaders in whom we placed our faith, our trust and even our money” turned out to be ” incompetent or (in some cases) out-and-out charlatans”?

Part of the explanation,  asserts  White,  lies “with the fact that we often are more concerned with social skills, likeability and charisma in choosing our leaders than we are with their ability to be effective leaders.”

White identifies several leadership types prevalent in the business world today, all of which fall short of the ideal: the servant leader  who serves the people he or she serves rather than controlling them;  the emotionally intelligent leader  who has social charm , empathy,  self-awareness and self-control;   the transformational leader who provides people with a vision of a better world and motivates them to transcend their self-interest; and finally the charismatic leader – who emotionally energizes followers with an inspiring vision of the future and convinces them that he or she is the heroic figure who can make this vision real.

But even though many of these characteristics may be cause for admiration,  they do not necessarily mean that the leader we have chosen will deliver results.  “Research has not found that leaders who are socially adept or liked or admired are more effective.”

White acknowledges that likeability and charisma are desirable qualities.  They have value in energizing and  motivating followers to achieve a leader’s goals. But in a complex world where countries and businesses  are globally intertwined, can charisma be enough?

As White aptly puts it:  “Sport teams  pick people based on their competence and ability, not their social skills and charisma . Why shouldn’t  businesses and organizations follow suit?”

Perfect the Art of Asking!

A key part of getting what you want is knowing how to ask for it. And, there are various ideas and strategies that are important in making certain you express yourself clearly and persuasively. Here are nine rules to bear in mind that will help you perfect “The Art of Asking.”

Two Minute Attitude Assessment

Your attitude to life and its challenges is crucial in determining your success in your career or in meeting personal objectives. Moreover, people with poor life attitudes may find it difficult to sustain good personal or professional relationships. This short test and the detailed commentary will give you a good idea of where you stand.

How to Comfortably Connect With Your Conversation Partner

Your attitude is critical when you approach people to engage them in conversation because it gets reflected in your facial expressions, voice, and body movements as well as your words. Learn the key aspects of a winning attitude for connecting with others and building trust and liking.

What You Say Without Speaking

Beware! Precisely at times when it’s most important for you, the nonverbal signals your body sends out may directly contradict the positive impression you’re trying so hard to make. Here’s how to prepare yourself for that crucial job interview, presentation, date or other significant occasion.

How to Appear Confident and Assertive in an Interview

When the job description calls for a high degree of self-confidence and aggressiveness (in a positive sense), how do you show your potential employers that you really do have what it takes?

Conversation Games: Practice Your Skills While Having Fun!

Just for the fun of it during the holidays or at any time, you might enjoy trying some conversation games. Here are a few easy ones

Please use the Comments area to let me know what you think of these articles, or to suggest topics you’d like to see covered in the future. If you prefer, you can also contact me privately at azriel AT hodu.com.

The doctor demanded to know why the pharmacist had dispensed medication to his patient completely different to what he had prescribed. Just how careless can a human being get, all the more so a professional in a position of trust? Where was the pharmacist’s sense of public responsibility? Where did she get her diploma from? Or perhaps she just didn’t know how to read properly?

The confused pharmacist quickly apologized, but she wasn’t about to be let off the hook so easily. The indignant doctor continued with a tirade that never seemed to end: how professional obligations are taken so lightly in the modern world, how she could have caused serious damage to someone’s else, and so on…

Afterwards, the pharmacist sifted through her pile of prescriptions to find the script in question. To her surprise, she saw she had dispensed exactly what was written there! Ah, so it was the good doctor who had erred! She rang him up and very respectfully told him what she had found.

“Oh well,” he said casually, “anyone can make a mistake.”

Oh yeah? As some people love to say nowadays, Duh!

Recognize yourself, perhaps?  Not sure? Think again!

Personally, I recognize myself very well. True, I rarely, if ever, shout at  another human being for making a mistake or for any other reason. But…when I’m standing a long line at the supermarket checkout,  to cite one example,  I know  how easily I’m inclined  to get hot under the collar when another shopper tries to jump the queue. (Yes, he may have only one small item in his cart – “I’ll only be a second,” he pleads – but  it’s a second of my valuable time, and  what exempts him from following the rules like everyone else?)

And since I have such a poor memory – at least when it’s to my advantage – I don’t recall the times when I do my shopping five minutes before the next bus home is leaving, and if I miss it, I have a an hour and a half wait for the next one.  Then, I’m very much tempted to do exactly what that cheeky fellow does, and occasionally, I might even give in to the temptation…

Interestingly, most of us are ready to acknowledge that our behavior can be offensive  on occasion. However, we’re quick to plead extenuating circumstances.  We tell the world, and ourselves, that what we did was out of character, so far from a reflection of our true personality.  We only did it because…and you can fill in all sorts of reasons: sound, valid, justifiable reasons.

But when the shoe’s on the other foot, when others are rude and offensive towards us…well,  you know very  well  what  you think!

On the other hand, when we really care about someone, then suddenly it becomes surprisingly easy to justify their behavior, or at least to reserve judgment until we know the facts. We tap intellectual strengths we didn’t know were there, and find that we’ve suddenly become very creative and imaginative.

Now one thing’s very certain: we all care about ourselves.   If we would  work on ourselves to develop, to the best of our ability, a similar level of caring for others, everything might fall into place.

Greenwood is fed up with those ubiquitous online ads and email solicitations, guaranteeing, in return for a small financial outlay, such enviable accomplishments as being able to “radiate magnetic charm and command the balance of power in every situation” or becoming “an expert persuader in 20 days or less.”

Baloney, he says, and doubtlessly he would say no different even if the advertisers would reduce their exaggerated claims by 50%.

In the latest issue of his popular free e-newsletter The Career Accelerator© (well worth signing up for -it’s free), Greenwood decries a myth that abounds in today’s workplaces: the credo that everyone is entitled to the rewards of success. The world of work simply doesn’t work that way, he stresses. The only way to be reasonably sure of reaping such rewards is to work for organizations that provide opportunities and recognize effort and results. (Even then, there are no guarantees, as he goes on to explain.)

Another myth that flies in the face of reality is one asserting that the workplace is a democracy.

“Not so. Organizations cannot be successfully run by committees of equals where the majority rules. Organizations that survive and prosper require a chain of command at the top of which sits someone who is empowered to make decisions. Successful organizations are meritocracies, systems in which winners emerge and are moved ahead on the basis of their achievements..”

Further, “one of the cruelest myths of all is that organizations are warm and cozy places that provide security. If you believe that myth you are exposing yourself to disappointment. Security occurs only when you have prepared, planned and worked hard so you can have confidence in your ability. Security comes when your employer needs you more than you need him. Security comes when you have options.

“A companion myth is that your boss is your friend. Your boss is your boss. You cannot rely on friendships for lasting, fulfilling success. The way to maintain a positive relationship with your boss and enhance your opportunities is to excel at your job, make him look good.”

In other words, you cannot assume that your accomplishments speak for themselves and you will as a matter of course be rewarded accordingly. if you believe this is the case, you have fallen victim to another myth!

“The recipe for success is simple”, Greewood concludes “Achieve results that pay off for your employer; make sure your employer knows what you have accomplished that contributes to his bottom line. Only then will you be rewarded for your true worth.”

Bottom line: no need to fall prey to despair and conclude that success is beyond your grasp. It is within your reach! The real secrets are hard work, initiative and patience.

And common sense. Just a pity that’s not a little more common!

How to Stay Cool Under Fire

Have you ever felt your adrenalin rise and your temper flare
when someone you work with asks a touchy question or makes a
terse comment?

When emotions run rapid at the workplace, we tend to speak
without thinking. This causes communication breakdown.

In this kind of scenario, there’s really only one solution: we
have to empower ourselves to take control. Read these
instructive examples on how to nip potential conflict in the bud
and stay cool under fire. (As with many of our previous
presentations, these tactics can also be applied outside the
workplace to a variety of other situations in everyday life.)

Guidelines for Effective Gesturing

Tips for gesturing and using body language to maximum effect when delivering a speech – while feeling relaxed and without being self-conscious.

Gender Collisions in Conversation

The conversation styles of men and women differ a lot, and not just because of cultural shaping. Significant differences in biology also cause how men and women respond to stress and how they get their emotional needs met.

How to Detect Deception

April 1 is a day for practical jokes and light-hearted hoaxes. But having the wool pulled over your eyes at other times is no laughing matter, whether in the workplace or any place else. While there’s no single gesture that indicates beyond doubt that someone is trying to mislead you, you will increase your chances of spotting a falsehood if you watch out for these simple body language cues.

The Seven Rules of Upward Communication

As more and more organizations rely on their teams to manage themselves, so the need for upward communication becomes ever more crucial. Reporting upwards is a skill in itself; follow these golden rules to keep the people at the top in the picture.

Life in the Cubicle: Etiquette in the Open Office

Building and maintaining strong business relationships is the key to success. While keys are designed to unlock doors, in the modern workplace, doors are about as scarce as good manners.

It is estimated that over 40 million North Americans work in open office environments. That is, of course, a nice way of saying cubicles.

And while cubicles may not have doors, they can act as barriers to strong working relationships.

Please use the Comments area to let me know what you think of these articles, or to suggest topics you’d like to see covered in the future. If you prefer, you can also contact me privately at azriel AT hodu.com.