Leadership

Dear Ken, I recently “retired” from the business world to lead a nonprofit. Having run many businesses in my career, my inclination is to work on strategy as an important early step. But I’m a bit fuzzy on how to think about strategy in my new role. Businesses have customers, competitors, investors, and profits. Nonprofits don’t. What does strategy mean for them?  —A not-so-shy retiring type Dear Not-so-shy, Many leaders of nonprofits think that strategy is for profit-seeking businesses, not mission-oriented enterprises. But consider the following excerpts from actual mission statements of organizations that are seeking to: Expand global access to healthcare Advance sexual and reproductive autonomy, choices, and health worldwide Alleviate poverty Create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice Refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit, and inspire moments of optimism and happiness Bring clean, safe water to people around the world … [Read more...] about Strategy talk: How strategy differs for nonprofits

Chief executives feel compelled to be constantly “doing”. There’s an underlying urgent mantra of “move quickly” and “make things happen”, high pressure played out against a backdrop of constant and accelerated change. But isn’t that just business as usual? PwC recently reported that chief executives now spend, on average, just 4.8 years in their role, compared to 8.3 years in 2010. Quite simply, they have less and less time to make their mark and create success. The chief executive role is now like working in a spin cycle. Keeping clients satisfied, driving innovation, improving sustainability, delivering a diversity agenda, winning new business, building a positive reputation – an exhausting list of actions and decisions that rely on your experience to make split-second judgement calls, day in, day out. When the stakes are relatively low, this is fine. But what happens when the stakes are high and the situation complex, with … [Read more...] about Bosses, learn the zen power of doing nothing

Even in the age of Google, remembering certain things can give you a huge advantage in business. In fact, your ability to remember can become one of your most valuable assets. The bottom line is this: people want to do business with smart people, and we view people who have a razor-sharp memory as being the smartest. How great would it be to quickly and easily remember business-related facts and figures, speeches and presentations without notes, foreign language vocabulary, key points from meetings, material for certification exams, and the names of people that you meet? This is well within your reach. Here are some principles to show you how to improve your memory. First, visualise Take whatever it is that you are trying to remember and turn it into a simple image or series of images. Involve your other senses Beyond visualisation, try to involve as many additional senses as you can while attempting to commit a piece of information to memory. The more senses you involve, the more of … [Read more...] about Memory tricks and tips to help you win at business

This month, university students across the country are being tested on their chosen field of study. As if the exam season weren’t stressful enough, final-year students also have to deal with acute cases of so-called employability anxiety. This generation is already described as the “most anxious in history”, so adding extra stress makes for a potent cocktail. It isn’t difficult to see why so many soon-to-be-graduates are lying awake at night, worrying about the future. Read more: Employers to boost graduate jobs by record nine per cent in 2019 The headlines paint a picture of an employment wasteland and an economy in free-fall, to say nothing of the thick cloud of uncertainty that swirls around Brexit. Then there’s the drumbeat of stories that relate all the ways in which millennials have something wrong with them. Despite this atmosphere of gloom, the tech sector – consistently reported as one of the most desirable among graduates – is in rude … [Read more...] about The future looks bright for university graduates

Demetra Moore is the founder and CEO of Moore Out of Life based in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a certified professional coach and energy leadership master practitioner, she trains and consults organizations across the nation. When collaborating with organizations, Moore emphasizes how important it is for leaders to master their soft skills in order to keep their employees engaged and connected. “It’s important for employees to have effective communication, leadership, confidence, a positive attitude, relatability, emotional awareness, problem-solving skills, and time management,” she told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We call these key success skills, also known as soft skills.” According to Moore, when company leaders lack soft skills, this can have a negative trickle-down effect on the company’s employees, culture, and bottom line. When employees don’t have good leadership to motivate them to meet expectations and deliver a great … [Read more...] about 7 Ways Soft Skills Keep Employees Engaged and Connected