Leadership Mistakes

Silence your know-it-all spiel

February 20, 2018

It’s easy to feel like an impostor who’s pretending to know more than you do. That can lead you to talk too much and lose touch with your team. To avoid talking at (rather than with) others, beware of these traps.

Focus on positives to avoid excuses

November 9, 2017
Craig Ross was hired by a company to help its leaders innovate more effectively. Almost immediately, Ross detected a problem: The participants failed to connect well with each other.

What a CEO’s verbal gaffe wrought

September 12, 2017
Four years into the job, the CEO of a chain of day care centers had revitalized the company’s finances, but his verbal gaffes threatened to drive away customers and staff.

Will your ego kill your career?

August 14, 2017
The day of the aggressive know-it-all who steamrolls over colleagues is drawing to a close. In the future, success will belong to those who can quiet their egos, collaborate, and empathize with others.

Was JC Penney’s CEO doomed to fail?

July 26, 2017
In November 2011, JC Penney hired Ron Johnson as its CEO. At the time, Johnson was considered a bold hire. But his star faded fast. Within 17 months, Penney ousted him after the company lost $4 billion in revenue and its stock tanked.

4 common brand missteps

July 19, 2017
Larry Light, co-author with Joan Kiddon of Six Rules for Brand Revitalization, identifies some tips on how businesses can avoid making a mess of their brands.

For Bill Gates, tirades came at a cost

July 14, 2017
In February 1985, Ida Cole joined Microsoft as one of its first female vice presidents. Within months, her relationship with the mercurial Bill Gates worsened. His confrontational style created a tense workplace.

Should you apologize?

July 9, 2017
For a leader, a public apology always involves risk. Here are some questions to help you walk the line between stonewalling and groveling.

3 memorable apology whiffs

June 29, 2017
It’s been a busy year for the word “Sorry.” We’ve seen the maddening, the middling and the almost there.

Dig for answers from the field

June 1, 2017
While there’s no guarantee Gavin Patterson would have uncovered the extent of his company’s accounting fraud if he had spent more time there, his lack of involvement didn’t help.