So you want to be a CIO? Stop trying to be a chess master and start enabling other people to grow, says John Marcante.
HBR Articles
What to do when you don’t feel valued at work
When you feel like your hard work isn’t appreciated or even noticed, key questions often arise. Such as – Am I good enough? Will I advance in this company? Should I move on? Before jumping ship, Rebecca Knight, author of this HBR article, suggests finding a few subtle ways to “toot your own horn” to get the recognition you deserve. She offers five ideas to try before looking for a new job. Download this article for Knight’s essential Dos and Don’ts and case studies that help illustrate her tips in action.
Why even senior executives need a side hustle
Think the gig economy is only for college kids or freelancers? Think again. In this HBR article, Dorie Clark makes a compelling case for why even senior leaders who want to stay in their steady corporate jobs should consider taking on a side job. From speaking to coaching to creating a new product or service, Clark offers five reasons why these and other endeavors can enhance your career. She writes, “Even if you love your job and keep it forever, a small dose of entrepreneurship can teach you new skills and enrich your perspective, making you that much more indispensable at work.” Download this article for her tips.
Emotional intelligence: How to beat the stress and distraction cycle
Focus is a key to success. But for busy executives with overwhelming workloads, it can be hard to maintain. Kandi Wiens, author of this HBR article, writes, “When we can’t focus at work because of distractions, it may lead us to feel stressed about not being productive, which then causes us to focus less, further feeding the cycle. Unfortunately, most of us don’t notice our focus declining until we become completely overwhelmed.” Fortunately, emotional intelligence can help break this cycle. Wiens breaks down the critical EQ competencies you can employ to manage your stress and get your focus back.
4 ways to get critical feedback from your team
Just because you get a formal feedback review from your team at the end of the year doesn’t mean you are self-aware. In fact, the anonymous nature of a formal review process can obstruct genuine critique and cause further strain on relationships between leaders and followers, suggests Ron Carucci in this HBR report. Rather than wait until the annual feedback review, Carucci suggests four actions leaders can take to gain a better understanding of how they are truly perceived by their teams. Download this article for tips you can put into practice immediately to become a more self-aware leader.
How to stop doubling down on your failing strategy
“Escalation of commitment,” or holding on too long to a strategy that was once successful, is a common contributing factor in a company’s ultimate failure, according to Freek Vermeulen and Niro Sivanathan, authors of this HBR article. It can create reinforcing biases that can sway a leader’s judgment and cause them to ignore signals that their old business tricks are no longer working. But businesses can reduce their risk of falling into the escalation trap. Vermeulen and Sivanathan describe six practices to implement in the decision-making process that can help managers to more objectively and explicitly consider alternative strategies and perspectives.