For a take-charge optimist like me, the financial crisis was a brutal experience. Although it’s hard to know exactly what’s ahead, for certain, we are close to a recovery. What we have yet to grasp is how different the future will be.

Many economists are expecting a new normal – extensive regulation, a much bigger, intrusive government, and a changing mix of businesses and jobs. How important it is to be on the right side of the new opportunities.  How satisfying it will be to make the right moves in business and our careers. Continue reading…

There is a huge gap between talking about leadership in the abstract and putting the ideas into action. Leadership is a powerful idea – crucial to success, yet squishy. So how does a leader transform hope and new directions into tangible results?

David Gergen of Harvard describes comtemporary leadership this way: “Command and control leadership has given way to a new approach, [which is] often called the influence model. The essence of leading others is to develop empathy with them and to develop the social skills that will persuade them to work toward shared goals.”

Many authorities, like Gergen, focus heavily on leadership style. But perceptions of style are often superficial and short-lived:   Continue reading…