Leadership Presence Is a Myth
Leadership Presence Is a Myth Leadership presence may be one of the most overrated ideas in leadership. For years we’ve been taught that influence comes from commanding a room, projecting confidence, and creating followership through charisma. I taught leadership presence myself, so I understand why the idea persists. But I’ve become less convinced that presence explains influence as well as we think it does. Some of the most influential leaders in history would score surprisingly low on executive presence assessments today and still changed behavior at extraordinary scale. That made me question whether people follow leaders because of how they appear or because of the beliefs they create....
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Past Issues
That’s Not What I Meant
That’s Not What I Meant This week’s This Week in Culture is about one of the toughest lessons in leadership: you are not judged by your intention,...
You Can’t Lead It Until You Live It
You Can’t Lead It Until You Live It This week’s This Week in Culture is about a truth I have seen play out in every successful culture...
How to Make Purpose Actually Work
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The Gig Economy Has Reached the Corner Office
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Pretty Uneventful Week for CEOs, Right?
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Fear and Faith Are Both a Belief in the Unknown
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You Can’t Collaborate With a Negotiator
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Your Culture Is Measured in Silence
Your Culture Is Measured in Silence One of the most dangerous signals in any organization isn’t conflict. It’s silence. Leaders often chase...
Culture Captures the Cost Savings
Culture Captures the Cost Savings In this week’s CEO Daily Brief, I spoke with labor strategy expert John Frehse about the growing pressure leaders...
What Becoming a Death Doula Has Taught Me About Change Management
What Becoming a Death Doula Has Taught Me About Change Management After five years volunteering in UC Davis’s No One Dies Alone program, I recently...

