Character

Express anger—within reason

September 10, 2020
A researcher at Stanford University has found that anger is sometimes linked to success.

Lock horns with a peer? Bury the axe

September 10, 2020
Feuding with another manager? You’re both good arguers, so forget about rehashing the disagreement—no one will win.

Don’t let grudges poison your leadership

August 13, 2020
One of the worst effects of holding a grudge is that you may have trouble distinguishing your personal overreactions from legitimate misgivings about the employee. Take these steps if you feel you might be holding a grudge.

When under pressure, who are you?

July 9, 2020
Exceptional times—good or bad—often require leaders to change, either to take advantage of what’s going right or to remedy what isn’t. Look closely at three aspects of your leadership.

Banish your own negativity

April 22, 2020
Negative behavior can be changed! It just takes training and practice. The key is analyzing your behavior, planning a change, and implementing it consistently. Try these five steps.

If you can’t say something nice …

January 9, 2020
Q. I’ve been watching my boss botch move after move for a few years now, and it’s tough not to get swept up in the talk at work about his errors. I’d like to play devil’s advocate, but what argument can I make in defense of such a poor leader?

Banish traits that start arguments

January 2, 2020
Some days it seems everyone is in a bad mood. Or maybe it’s just you. If you’re getting into more than your share of altercations, perhaps you need to work on one or more of these issues.

Harness the power of the thank-you note

October 11, 2019
If the last time you remember penning an actual thank-you note was at age 10 when your mother insisted you couldn’t spend the birthday money Aunt Helen sent until you wrote one, you’re missing out on a simple way to connect with others—and enhance your own life.

The one thing everyone I ever admired had in common

August 8, 2019
Thinking back through the leaders I’ve personally considered worthy of admiration over the years, I’ve been struck by a stark commonality.

Are you the jerk at work?

July 24, 2019
We all work with toxic people. If you’re doing the following, you could unwittingly be one of them.