2025

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Sudden layoff: How Do I Help My Friend Who Just Lost Their Job?

Let's Grow Leaders

Practical Ways to Show Up as a Human-Centered Supporter after a Sudden Layoff Your friend just lost their job in a sudden layoff. They’re blindsided–concerned for themselves and the mission. Maybe its tied to recent government turbulence or related downstream impacts. Or a corporate shake-up. Either way, theyre reeling, and youre wondering how to help without overstepping or offering a bunch of empty clichs.

Stress 538
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Evaluating Leadership Potential: Beyond Performance Metrics

N2Growth Blog

Identifying and promoting leaders is one of the most consequential decisions an organization can make. However, many organizations make the mistake of equating high performance with leadership potential. Effective leadership requires a unique set of skills, including emotional intelligence, adaptability, and the ability to inspire others. This article explores how organizations can distinguish between performance and leadership potential and adopt structured approaches to identify the right cand

Metrics 349
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Red Flags at Work: Recognizing Problems and Delivering the Bad News

Leading Blog

I N MY early managerial days, I would often ask my bosses and peers how they learned the skill of delivering bad news. Almost always, their answer was: You will learn it over time, There is no compression algorithm for experience, or some variation of needing to put in the time. Granted, experience is one of the best teachers, but I have discovered there are tactics that can be learned so you dont have to navigate without help.

Bottom-up 354
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Stop Asking Why: Ten ‘What’ Questions Senior Leaders Can Use to Drive Alignment

Next Level Blog

When youre a senior executive, your success depends on influencing, aligning, and mobilizing others toward strategic goals. Yet, even at the highest levels, misalignment often arises due to differing motivations. How well do you truly understand the priorities driving your peers, board members, or senior team? And are your assumptions accurate? The best way to understand whats motivating someone is to engage them in a conversation that surfaces their goals, their ambitions, and their fears.

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Future-Proof Your Talent Pipeline

Get ready for the future of business. As HR navigates an ongoing labor shortage, leaders need stronger, more adaptable recruiting strategies. Do you have the tools you need to build a talent pipeline that drives sustainable business growth?

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Your Team’s Mindset: The Hidden Force Behind Scale

Sales Wolf Blog

Your Team's Mindset Is Your Greatest Asset Your greatest asset is not your people. Your greatest asset is how your people think - their Mindset. Most leaders fail to see the biggest lever for growth sitting right in front of them: the mindset of their people. Skills, experience, and knowledge matter, but they are useless if your team approaches their work with the wrong perspective.

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The Secret of Enthusiasm is Short-Term Commitments

Leadership Freak

Many leaders weaken decision-making by prioritizing agreement over commitments. Over-concern about agreement sabotages decision-making. In some situations, people dont commit until they agree 100%. When thats true, change your process and expect everyone to commit once decisions are made. Those who aren't committed find fault. Those who are committed find a way.

More Trending

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Top Post Series of 2024: Leading in Context Blog

Leading in Context

By Linda Fisher Thornton The Top Post Series for last year on the Leading in Context Blog was called "10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2024". It reflected insights for leaders into how to lead in ways that bring out the best in others, and featured specific areas of focus and strategies for living and leading with values.

Blog 302
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3 Hidden Blind Spots Effective Leaders Must Address to Build a Thriving Team Culture

Great Results Team Building

Every leader has blind spots… But ignoring them could cost you your teams trust, engagement, and performance. Blind spots are dangerous because they are more difficult to see the more successful you are. And they are often invisible to the very people who have them. As a leader, what you think is true about your teams experience might be far from their reality.

Team 187
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How to Get People to Do What You Ask (Influence Without Authority)

Rich Gee Group

Listen to the audio Listen, I get it: trying to get someone to do what you need - when theyre higher up than you or not even in your department - can feel like youre yelling into a void, especially if they talk down to you. Or worse, if they brush you off like youre not worth their time. Ive been there, and it can be frustrating as hell. But heres the thing: influence isnt all about titles.

Influence 195
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Why Your Leadership Style Is Failing and Everyone Knows It But You

Lead from Within

The gap in your leadership style is costing your organization millions in lost talent and unrealized potential.Recent Deloitte analysis reveals 82% of senior executives overestimate their leadership capabilities, while only 34% of their direct reports rate them as highly effective. A recent report by McKinsey’s Leadership Index demonstrates organizations with self-aware leaders generate 41% higher shareholder returns.

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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One Communication Skill to Reduce Conflict and Improve Relationships at Work

Let's Grow Leaders

To improve relationships at work, reflect to connect Have you ever had a conversation at work take a turn you werent expectingsuddenly, voices rise, arms fold, and you feel the tension? Maybe you walked away wondering, “What just happened? How did we get here?” In those moments, you might feel like defending your position, explain your point more clearly, or even disengage completely.

Skills 501
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From Search to Onboarding: Recruiting an Exceptional Chief Operating Officer

N2Growth Blog

An operational executive overseeing the day-to-day business functions is the linchpin between visionary corporate objectives and the tactical steps required to achieve them. The importance of this role in high-performing organizations cannot be overstated: research from various organizational studies shows that effective operations leadership is one of the most reliable predictors of sustained performance and competitive advantage in business.

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Connections: The New Currency of Our Era

Leading Blog

T HE challenges organizations face today are becoming increasingly complex, interconnected, and unpredictable. Yet, as we examine these challenges more closely, a striking realization emerges: most are rooted in connection issues. Network science heralded as the science of the 21st century, provides a groundbreaking framework for understanding connections.

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The Power of a Verbal Yes in Driving Team Alignment

Next Level Blog

Anyone who has ever flown in the exit row knows the drill. Just before takeoff, the flight attendant stands in the aisle, asks everyone to take their ear buds out, and make eye contact as the attendant asks, Are you aware that youre sitting in an exit row and are you willing and able to assist in an emergency, including opening the exit door and assisting other passengers?

Power 254
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5 Ways to Improve DE&I in the Workplace

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical for an organization’s success. And companies that take bold action to help ensure an inclusive workplace will win every time. Discover how your company can create a culture that celebrates DE&I while achieving higher revenue and growth.

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The Power of Knowing: Why Rockefeller Habit #9 is a Game-Changer for Your Team's Performance

Sales Wolf Blog

Do you really know how your team is performing? Imagine walking into your office and knowing, without ambiguity, whether your team had a productive day or week. More importantly. Imagine engaging each team member knowing that they know whether or not they had a productive day or week. If I am your coach, this is a normal occurrence for you and your team.

Team 255
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Fix What’s Broke About Feedback

Leadership Freak

Improvement always begins with feedback. People never improve until they know how theyre doing. Self-defeating behaviors persist in low-feedback environments. The feedback sandwich is filled with baloney. A spoonful of sugar before corrective conversations dilutes compliments. Marus Buckingham said, People dont want feedback, they want attention.

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The Hidden Leadership Skill That Makes Employees Feel Valued

Tanveer Naseer

When it comes to developing leadership skills, the focus tends to be on strategic thinking, decision-making, and communication skills. But theres one skill that can create a far greater impact on driving organizational growth and innovation. And that skill is the art of mindful listening. Why? Because it sends a.

Skills 290
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Our Human Journey

Leading in Context

By Linda Fisher Thornton The human journey. Were all taking it, but we dont always know where its headed. We cant always see where weve been until later, when we have the long-term perspective and can begin to make sense of the twists and turns weve taken throughout our lives.

Long-term 236
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No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Drama, End Entitlement and Drive Big Results

Speaker: Cy Wakeman, M.S., CSP, President, Reality-Based Leadership

Most HR leadership philosophies are grounded in two completely faulty assumptions — “change is hard” and “engagement drives results.” Those beliefs have inspired expensive attempts to keep change from being disruptive to employees. What these engagement programs actually do is create and reinforce feelings of victim-hood and leave employees unprepared to adapt to real changes that are necessary for the health and profitability of their enterprises.

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How to Make Recognition More Meaningful by Adding Affirmation to Your Appreciation

Great Results Team Building

Appreciation is one of the most powerful tools a leader can use to build a winning team. In fact, Harvard Business Review reported that 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized. And Terryberry found that 92% of workers are more likely to repeat a specific action after receiving recognition for it.

How To 152
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The 'YES' Leader: Igniting Fearlessness and Creativity.

Rich Gee Group

Listen to the interview. Today, I'm fired up to talk about leadership - specifically, the insane power of saying "YES" way more than you say "NO." But before we dive into that, let's rewind to a movie that nails this vibe: Yes Man with Jim Carrey. In Yes Man , Jim Carrey plays Carl, a dude who's basically allergic to life. He's saying "no" to everything - opportunities, fun, you name it.

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This is How AI Is Coming for Your Job—Unless You Learn to Lead Smarter

Lead from Within

Artificial Intelligence is methodically eliminating leadership positionsand your role could be next. While 68% of executives dismiss AI’s impact, artificial intelligence already executes core management functions with unprecedented efficiency. Organizations implementing AI management tools eliminate mid-level leadership positions at accelerating rates, with projections indicating 37% of current management roles become obsolete by 2026.

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How do I build a better relationship with my difficult (icy) boss?

Let's Grow Leaders

How to Warm Up Your Relationship with an Icy, Difficult Boss You know the type: the difficult boss barely acknowledges you, keeps conversations strictly transactional, and never lets you see their human side. Frustrating right? But heres the thing: their iciness may not be about you. Maybe theyre overwhelmed, introverted, or just wired differently than you.

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Innovation: Five Signs You Might Be Faking It

Every company wants to be a leader in innovation, but how can you tell if your company is really innovating or just going through the motions? See the 5 signs you might be faking innovation and what to do if you are.

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Unlocking Potential: The Role of Assessments in Leadership Development

N2Growth Blog

Assessments have emerged as an indispensable instrument in leadership development, serving as both a mirror that reveals areas of growth and a lens that illuminates hidden potential. At N2Growth , we view these evaluative processes as far more than simple scorecards. When strategically designed, assessments can lead executives to sharpen their strategic thinking, refine their interpersonal skills, and ultimately guide teams toward sustainable success.

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LeadershipNow 140: January 2025 Compilation

Leading Blog

Here is a selection of Posts from January 2025 that you will want to check out: Nine rules turnaround leaders can live by that don't involve 'fixing the culture' by @artpetty 4 Ways To Constantly Adapt by @JosephLalonde 5 Things Leaders Need to Quit Doing by @Mark_Sanborn It Dont Take Much To Show A Little Love by @JohnBaldoni Success Through Synergy by @KevinPaulScott Genuine synergy rests on four essential pillars Sputnik Moments, Moonshot Visions by @jamesstrock What should our moonshot be?

Politics 389
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Leading in the Age of Non-Stop VUCA

Next Level Blog

Back in the early days of the COVID pandemic, I wrote a post on how to lead under volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. You may know those four words by their common acronym VUCA. To be honest, I didnt think that things could get any more VUCA than they were during the pandemic. Im beginning to think I was wrong about that. Practically every week over the past year theres been a new breakthrough or application in the field of artificial intelligence.

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Hire, Develop, and Scale Like You Mean It

Sales Wolf Blog

Stop Fooling Yourself If you expect to scale your business model, nothing and I mean NOTHING matters more than having a mission, vision, values (purpose) coupled with the right people doing the right things right. Hope is not a strategy. Your hiring process is broken. You believe you are good at picking talent, but the frank truth is your gut instincts are literally costing you millions.

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Tough Comp Conversations: A Guide For Doing Them Right

Speaker: Rusty Lindquist, VP Strategic HR Insights at Bamboo HR

Compensation can be tricky, few things carry as much emotional weight as comp. And with the increased transparency in the market, combined with our collective propensity to rate ourselves against others, the frequency of these very difficult conversations is increasing. In this webinar, we will deconstruct some of the psychology around comp. We’ll take an analytic look at comp’s role in the employee experience, and then we’ll get really tactical with guidance on very specific compensation conver

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Consensus Poisons Dynamic Options

Leadership Freak

Never make decisions until theres disagreement. A camel is a horse designed by consensus. Consensus distills dynamic options into dull decisions. Complex situations have many solutions. People arent thinking when everyone agrees. Consensus empowers obstructionists. You havent found the best decision when everyone agrees. You found the easiest decision.

Consensus 174
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Trust And Leadership: 4 Proven Practices To Inspire High-Performing Teams

Tanveer Naseer

One of the highlights of hosting my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast has been the chance to interview Stephen M.R. Covey twice, exploring how successful leaders develop trust within their organizations.

Covey 249
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Unethical Thinking Leads to Unethical Leadership

Leading in Context

By Linda Fisher Thornton As humans, we are flawed thinkers who easily fall victim to biases and traps. The biases and traps we so easily fall into reshape our thinking in ways that can lead us to make bad decisions. As you review the list of leadership traps below, think about how each can lead to unethical thinking and actions.

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Two Unexpected Ways to END Your Next Meeting That Engage and Grow Your Team

Great Results Team Building

Most meetings are relatively joyless experiences They become routine checklists and overlong discussions that end in a whimper. But team meetings dont have to be this way. They can (and SHOULD) be culture-building experiences that inspire action, creativity, and growth. Your team gatherings are a prime opportunity to foster collaboration and engagement, especially if you rethink how they end.

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The GTM Intelligence Era: ZoomInfo 2025 Customer Impact Report

ZoomInfo customers aren’t just selling — they’re winning. Revenue teams using our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform grew pipeline by 32%, increased deal sizes by 40%, and booked 55% more meetings. Download this report to see what 11,000+ customers say about our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform and how it impacts their bottom line. The data speaks for itself!