Best of 2017

2017 was a very exciting year for Lead Change. We rebranded, updated old processes, and moved over to a brand new website! I wanted to take the time to reflect on our key authors from the past year. Below, you will find the highest viewed blog post from each month of 2017. Be sure to check out some great contributors, and stay tuned to see what 2018 brings to Lead Change.

January

The Best Leaders Use These Three Hard Words by Lisa Kohn

"I see it with my clients. I see it with my colleagues. I see it in myself. It’s damn hard to admit when we don’t know something. Somewhere along the line, we came to believe that being a leader meant being sure. Knowing the answers. Having the best and rightest solution to every problem."

February

Create an Adaptable Workforce to Ensure Your Company's Longevity by Hollis Thomases

"Adaptability is not an inborn trait; it’s a skill people learn, typically over time and through the “school of hard knocks.” The skill of adaptability requires mastery of many facets:  attitude, resilience, creativity, ingenuity, the minimization of fear, above-average willingness to take risks that could lead to failure, and the ability to anticipate what lies ahead, to only name a few"

March

Are Servant Leaders Obsolete? by Eileen McDargh

"It’s a question that has many of us in the leadership resiliency field pondering with great uneasiness. The current public personas of people whom we would title “leaders” are a far cry from the model Robert Greenleaf developed during his 40 years with American Telephone and Telegraph (now AT&T)."

April

The Characteristics of a True Leader by Bria Pierce

"What makes a great leader? When we look at people the whole world admires like Steve Jobs or Richard Branson or even throughout history like Winston Churchill or Henry Ford we can see that they are very different people with different personalities; however, they do share some significant qualities that define them as game changers in their respective fields. "

May

10 Signs Your Leadership Strategy Doesn't Work by Laura Buckler

"In any professional environment, management is composed of a leader and a group of colleagues working collaboratively. Together, they work towards their team’s goals. Ideally, the team should meet their targets and perform well under an effective management."

June

Got Questions? by Jane Perdue

"When I was growing up, I envied the little boy next door. His mom asked him questions. Would you like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or soup for lunch?  Will you spend the afternoon reading a book or playing? My mom told me how it was going to be."

July

Effective Communication is About Understanding Emotion by Markus Van Alphen

"Imagine a world in which you wouldn't experience any emotion whatsoever. What would your life look like? Drab? No, it wouldn't be drab, as that's an emotion. Nor boring, peaceful or any other state of mind which implies an emotion is being experienced."

August

You Won't Improve if You Don't Focus by Will Lukang

"Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” This quote comes to mind whenever I think of my personal and professional improvement over the lifespan of my career."

September

Leadership According to a Horse by Julia Felton

"No-one I speak to disputes the fact that we live in a VUCA world full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. We are living in a world where change is ever greater, where the future is less predictable, where the options increase exponentially, and the way we think about these options has undoubtedly changed."

October

Are You Learning to Lead? by Kay Peterson

"As a leader, do you ever feel like your habits automatically engage to turn a new experience into an old pattern of response?  If so, you might consider using a surprising approach to personal and professional development: learning from experience."

November

Are You Crushing Your Employees? by Randy Conley

"I admit it. Sometimes when I'm under the gun at work and feeling the pressure of all my responsibilities, I can get tunnel vision about accomplishing my own goals and forget how my behavior is influencing others. It's not that I'm trying to be insensitive to people, I'm just not being mindful or intentional in my actions."

December

5 Ways to Lead Change in a Change - Averse Environment by Jon Lokhorst

"Despite the constancy of change in today’s global marketplace, the environment for change in many organizations is unfriendly at best. Few organizations have the appetite for change found at Facebook, Google, Amazon, and other innovative firms. I work extensively with CPAs, CFOs, and other technical professionals; a group not known for its propensity to change."

From all of us at Lead Change and Weaving Influence, thank you for an amazing 2017. May 2018 be your most influential year yet!