To be successful, you need to sell. You may not be in sales or even interact with customers, but you will need to sell yourself. You will need to convince people that you are the person to hire, that you are the person to trust with work and that you are the person that can […]
Tag Archives: influence
December
09
What could you learn from ‘Pre-suasion’ by Robert Cialdini (2016, 233 pages)?
posted by Max
November
06
Leadership hack 015 – there are three ways to get people to do something
posted by Max
When you want somebody to do something, you have three choices: Rely on altruism by appealing to their better nature Threaten adverse consequences if they don’t do it Re-frame the request to highlight mutual benefit Each of these approaches has advantages and drawbacks, and the effectiveness of each will differ with context. Altruism is incredibly powerful, but you need a […]
September
27
What you could learn from ‘Leadership BS’ by Jerry Pfeffer (2015, 220 pages)
posted by Max
While leadership is difficult to define (see here), good leadership is hard to miss. Like beauty, good leadership is subjective, depending as much on the observer and context, as much as it depends on the leader. In the book, Jeffrey takes on the five pillars of current leadership: modesty, authenticity, telling the truth, trust and […]
August
26
Leadership hack – 005 giving clear direction
posted by Max
Why are we surprised when a piece of work comes back and it was not what we were expecting? There are two possible reasons. The first is that the person you asked to do the work did not understand what was expected of them. The second is that the person you asked lacked the skill […]
July
01
Can leadership be defined? Part 5 – What do process based definitions of leadership tell us? By Max Eskell
posted by Max
Leaders provide vision, priorities and alignment. Robert Kaplan Process definitions of leadership attempt to define leaders by what they do and how they behave. A quick trawl of Flipboard, LinkedIn or even military valour citations (the photo shows the Battle of Rorke’s Drift), shows that leaders are expected to do certain things or behave in a certain […]
May
23
What can you learn from ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’ by John Maxwell (2007, 268 pages)
posted by Max
There has always been something alluring about a list. A quick online search reveals a huge number of leadership articles with lists. For example: 12 Things You Can Do Starting Today to Be a Better Leader 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Be A Real Leader 4 Simple Things You Can Do To Be A Better […]
May
11
What you could learn from ‘Leaders Eat Last’ by Simon Sinek (2014, 216 pages)
posted by Max
Why are so many people miserable in their jobs? Why does job engagement remain so low in the western world? In Simon’s book, he argues that there are two fundamental rules of corporate culture: Company outcome is dependent on culture Company culture is dependent on the leader Simon argues that leaders are so important as it is their behaviour which […]
May
03
What could you learn from ‘What you really need to lead’ by Robert Kaplan (2015, 179 pages)
posted by Max
“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” – Harry Trueman There is a lot of evidence to support Trueman’s opinion that reading increases your leadership ability and potential (see this HBR article). However, with so much material available, it is difficult to know where to start. In ‘What you need to Lead’ […]
April
20
Could personality analytics revolutionise the way you work with others? By Max Eskell
posted by Max
Human interaction is incredibly complex. People can be very, very different and it takes time to get to know people. As a result, when we work with someone for the first time we often fail to pick up on their individual nuances of language and body language. By not being attuned to new people you increase the chance […]
April
12
What could you learn from ‘Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World’ by Gen Stanley McChrystal (2015, 304 pages)
posted by Max
General Stanley McChristal has a phenomenal reputation amongst veterans. His new book ‘Team of Teams’ charts his experience commanding the Special Operations Task Force in Iraq. Stanley pointedly highlights the initial problems when arrives. He inherits a slow, top-down, bureaucratic organisation that is failing. The book then charts the evolution of the Task Force into […]
April
12
What can you learn from ‘The Effective Executive’ by Peter F. Drucker (2007, 154 pages)
posted by Max
Despite being written in 1967 the advice and guidance in this book could never be more relevant. Drucker outlines his five habits for the effective executive (that Jim Collins later uses as a basis for 8 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders). Drucker’s five habits are: Track, analyse and manage your time Focus on the outcome […]
April
12
What can you learn from ‘Nudge’ by Cass Sunstein & Richard Thaler (2009, 312 pages)
posted by Max
In their book ‘Nudge’, Thaler and Sunstein are among the first to set out the arguments for using behavioural insights to change (‘nudge’) people’s behaviour. By changing the context of a decision, they argue it is possible to reduce unhealthy or undesirable decisions. Their main arguments stem from making sure that choices are presented in […]
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