Talent and HR News Weekly Roundup: Spotlight on Leadership

For those of us in the United States, you can't escape the bombardment of election media. Everywhere you turn, news outlets are predicting our future president even though the election is more than a year away. To relate this to our own little world of workforce news, this whole presidential election thing got us thinking about leadership. Of course, any president of one of the world's most powerful nations better have strong leadership skills. And though it may not be on such a large scale, leadership comes into play as we lead teams and projects in our own organizations. This week we're sharing some recent articles on leadership. This is always an interesting topic to indulge in - enjoy!

1) America Needs Talent(ed Leaders) from Forbes

"The summer is over, thank goodness. Although this may be heresy to beachgoers and people like me who enjoy the opportunity to wear white between Memorial Day and Labor Day, it has become gospel for political panjandrums. At the end of August I wrote about Donald Trump, whose appeal to the worst in human nature may be exceeded only by a handful of historical figures. But nature abhors a vacuum, and Trump has ably filled the vacuum created by a raft of uninspiring and visionless would-be leaders."

2) The Curse of Heroes and Legends: Re-thinking Leadership from Huffington Post

"With the downturn of the global economy, growing political divisions and violence on the rise, confidence in our leaders is dwindling. Indeed, 86% of respondents to the World Economic Forum's Survey on the Global Agenda believe that we face a leadership crisis in the world today. So what has happened that we no longer put trust in those guiding the societies we live in? Dave Dillon, former CEO of the Kroger Co., hit the nail on the head. When asked about what leadership means, he replied by asking 'Is anyone following you?'. This is the crux of the matter: Followership is what turns a loner into a leader. Leadership is not about singling out and pursuing individual qualities and ambitions. Nor is it about the actions of a hero in shining armor. And this is precisely where leadership in the 21st century has failed us."

3) 6 Facts You Should Know About Introverts That Have Significant Leadership Implications from Forbes

"Much has been written about the differences between introverts and extroverts. Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking provides the single greatest source of data compiled on the differences between introverts and extroverts (at least that I’ve found) and has completely changed my perspective on how and why people communicate. Here’s why. Once upon a time, I believed that some people talk out loud just to hear themselves speak; that they spoke out loud because they thought higher of themselves and thought others did, too."

4) 5 leadership lessons we can learn from Queen Elizabeth II from PBS Newshour

"On September 9, after more than 23,200 days on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II overtook Queen Victoria to become Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. More than 63 years after she succeeded her father — who, to millennials, was George VI of The King’s Speech — she remains celebrated as a “a rock of stability in a world of constant change,” as noted by Prime Minister David Cameron. She has reigned over 12 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron, through decolonization and the diversification of British society. And she has managed a number of hardships within the royal family itself, from the wave of divorces and family strife in 1992 to the traumatic death of Diana. Through ups and downs, she has persisted."

5) Winning at All Costs Is Not True Leadership from Entrepreneur

"Want your business to appear in Entrepreneur magazine? Tell us how you're empowering employees, and you could be selected for a full-page promotion provided by Colonial Life. Inter arma enim silent leges may be true for the mob, but it doesn’t apply to leadership. There's nothing like a good turn of phrase in Latin, since – Salva me Deus – I do love it so. But one sentence bothered me when I saw it on the Twitter page of Mack Breed, the suspended assistant coach from John Jay High School in San Antonio, Texas. Breed reportedly told his players a referee needed to “pay” for bad calls. The result: two of the players, as the game time was expiring, brutally assaulted the ref. Great sportsmanship, that."

6) Is your star player ready for a promotion? from SmartBlog on Leadership

"If you’re lucky enough to have a team with top performers, you know that eventually some of them will move on to larger roles in the organization. Do you know which ones are promotable Many companies have programs for developing “high potential” (HIPO) employees – those employees deemed to have the skills, willingness and commitment to the company to take on senior leadership positions. Is it a given that everyone who is a star player is qualified as an executive-in-training? Not necessarily, says Devin Lemoine, president of Success Labs, a management consulting firm that helps companies develop their high-potential talent."

Lexi Gordon is a Lead Consultant for exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps organizations build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about our employer brand innovation, workforce research, and recruiting strategy offerings.

Related Posts