Leaders of every gender, or gender identity, need to balance their collaborative "feminine" energy with their direct "masculine" energy to create the emotional intelligence they need to succeed, writes author and life coach Andrea Mein DeWitt. "The more awareness we have about the stability of both our feminine and masculine energies, the more aligned we are with our natural gifts," DeWitt writes.
Instead of stepping in to be the "hero" who saves the day when things go sideways, leaders should do the work necessary to equip their reports to respond to emergencies and allow them to take control, says Col. Fred Maddox, an assistant professor at the U.S. Army War College and Chief of Staff of the Army senior fellow at the Kellogg School of Management. "As soon as you take over any part of execution, you've stepped out of your strategic role," Maddox says.
Leaders should measure performance based on outcomes instead of how and where employees work, according to Safeguard Global Chief People Officer Katherine Loranger, who says HR leaders should train managers on how to coach employees and set key performance indicators. "Beyond simply delivering formal training sessions, HR leaders should conduct frequent check-ins with managers to offer support when employee productivity is suffering or take best practices from a productive team to replicate across the organization," Loranger says.
Policies that encourage use of paid time off and increase flexible work options help employees ease pressure in the holiday season, when 60% of people experience stress, according to certified health expert Reena Vokoun. "Be sure to clearly communicate the timeframe during which there will be extra flexibility," Vokoun writes.
Lava flow from the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii is creeping its way toward a highway that connects the east and west sides of the state's Big Island and could reach it in a few days. State emergency officials said the flow doesn't pose an imminent threat and are preparing for a potential closure of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. Closing the highway could add as much as three hours to travel times around the Big Island.
