By Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool You probably don’t recognize the name Anders Ericsson, the lead of author of this book. But chances are you recognize some of his work. One of his studies of violin players in Berlin played a pivotal role in two popular books: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent is Overrated

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Professional. I hear leaders talk about this often, as in “I want my team to be professionals” or “Why can’t they be more professional?” Stated in conversation, others will knowingly nod in agreement. I typically ask a question like . . . “What do you mean by professional?” To which I typically get stumbling answers

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Having conversations about performance problems is difficult no matter the situation. But when you add in the dynamic of previously being friends with the now-employee, the situation gets even stickier. To make these conversations more effective and less stressful, there is one very important thing that all leaders need to keep in mind and realize

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A lot of leaders will find themselves talking about empowerment, but few leaders actually find themselves accomplishing it. So today, I’m giving a few tips to help leaders empower others. Check out today’s video to learn more. https://youtu.be/YH3pTd36seY?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0 Empowerment requires two decisions – one for you to empower and the other for someone to accept.

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Management guru Peter Drucker once said “People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.” The lesson here? You are going to make mistakes whether you take chances or not. However, if you don’t take risks, you will miss

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Some people say it’s important to ENGAGE employees in order to have a happier and more productive workplace. I say it’s important to EXCITE employees. Check out today’s video to find out what I mean… Tweet it out: Help people find meaning in their work and their excitement for their work will skyrocket. via @KevinEikenberry

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When I ask people to list the qualities or characteristics of great leaders, I never hear “they are a micromanager.” Shocking, isn’t it? No one wants to be micromanaged, and yet we all know what it is, which means that someone is doing a lot of it. And it could be you. While you may

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New supervisors often struggle with coaching the employees on their teams, and one of the reasons they often give for the struggle is that they don’t have time for or don’t know how to have the conversation. Many times, the challenge starts with the new supervisor thinking that a coaching conversation has to be a

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We recently got the following question: How do I encourage my staff to set challenging goals for their employees. And while this is a great question, unfortunately, it is setting them up for failure. You see, there is a key component that all leaders must think about in regards to goal setting and goal achievement.

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It’s nearly impossible to get through life without having a complaint or two (or three…) about something! But as leaders, it’s really important to understand how complaining is a trap and how we can avoid this for ourselves and our team to realize greater success overall. Here’s what I mean… Tweet it out: Complaining is

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