A person's character is an important component when asked to offer a recommendation for a leadership role, writes leadership coach John Baldoni. Integrity, intellect and inclusion say a lot on their own and offer room to expand on specific actions, as do commitment, courage and compassion, Baldoni writes. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (6/14)
What happens if a company puts lifestyle over finances? A "lifestyle firm" balances the personal lives of employees and entrepreneurs with financial growth, although factors including automation and scalability still foster profits, writes Jeannie Ruesch of financial software provider BILL. Bookkeeper Cindy Schroeder tells the story of her company's lifestyle model, which hinges on working only with clients that use cloud technology so her employees can work remotely from anywhere. Full Story: CPA Practice Advisor (6/14)
Are you developing "big-T" and "little-T" leaders? Companies should develop two types of "T-shaped" leaders who have knowledge across the company while providing expertise, writes Harvard Business School lecturer Hise Gibson. "To create T-shaped leaders at scale, the organization's most senior executives must understand the company's talent -- what types of leaders they have and what they need," writes Gibson, who recommends companies develop strategic-thinking "big-T" leaders and tactical "little-T" leaders. Full Story: Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (6/14)
Employers rushed to increase staffing at the end of the pandemic, but after the economy settled, many realized they hired too many employees and are now cutting back, says Roopesh Panchasra, Uber's global head of executive talent acquisition. "If there were senior executives or CEOs thinking of retiring, the situation has probably just expediated that process," Panchasra says. Full Story: Human Resources Director (6/14)
Workforce experts discuss Google's move to tie in-person office attendance to performance reviews, with some arguing that it could lead to more quiet quitting while others see mandatory office attendance on some days as a compromise employees will have to make as part of hybrid working plans. Leapsome co-CEO Jenny von Podewils says attendance should not be part of performance reviews as it's not related to competency. Full Story: WorkLife (6/15)
Gallup: Workers are stressed and not engaged While nearly 60% of global workers are "quiet quitting," 18% are "loud quitting," and 44% say they feel a "lot of stress" at work, per Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace 2023" report. In addition, 51% are actively seeking another job, and respondents said the top things that would improve their roles are clear goals, increased autonomy and more recognition. Full Story: CNN (6/13)
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Writing is a powerful tool that can support mental health and help process emotions, notes licensed clinical social worker Andrea Rosenhaft, who used writing to dig into the factors that led her to be ill. "The more I wrote, the calmer and less impulsive I became across all aspects of my life," Rosenhaft adds. Full Story: Psychology Today (6/11)
This article takes its time getting to the point, but when it does it suggests the way octopuses behave interpersonally (interoctopusally?) provided an excellent road map for how leaders could have resolved the Cuban missile crisis. The academic involved penned a letter and sent it to the Kennedy administration, but there's no evidence the letter arrived in time to prove actionable. Regardless, the way octopuses behave can still be mimicked by anyone who feels they are in a tense standoff with others. Full Story: Live Science (6/13)
AT&T has a massive infrastructure footprint and a huge fleet of vehicles, but the company's environmental and sustainability goals stretch far beyond its own operations. As AVP of Global Environmental Sustainability Shannon Thomas Carroll explains in this podcast, AT&T's efforts to boost sustainability include partnering with FEMA and Argonne National Laboratory to help communities prepare for and respond to natural disasters, and leveraging its Connected Climate Initiative to collaborate with large organizations on a mission to eliminate a gigaton of CO2 emissions by 2035. Full Story: Sustainability SmartPod (6/13)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Who was awarded the patent for vulcanized rubber? Check the answer here.
