In the face of any economic downturn, far too many organizations respond in knee-jerk reaction to the thought of holding all but the smallest of meetings. Training budgets are slashed. Employees hunker behind their desk, hoping that no one from HR can find them or else they’re huddled around a PDA, text messaging about possible layoff scenarios, pending mergers, or hiring freezes. Performance? Productivity? I think not.  

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When I laced up my running shoes and headed down to Dana Point Harbor on Thanksgiving morning, I did experience a twinge of regret. No Thanksgiving at my house. A broken hot water pipe under the floor of my kitchen and dining room had turned my gorgeous wood floor into splinters. Restoration crews had already yanked out my cabinets and an environmental team was scheduled to show up the next day to break into walls and determine mold damage. 

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Positive role models are always touted. But I believe, we can learn just as much—if not more—from negative examples. What do we NOT want to do? How do we NOT want to behave? These lessons are often more powerful and easier to grasp.  

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The Institute for the Future teamed up with the University of Phoenix Research Institute to pinpoint critical skills essential to thrive in 2020. Here are the top two: Sense-Making and Social Intelligence. 

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Time to throw down the towel and admit there are some events in life over which I have no clue and stand helpless. Perhaps you have had them, too. This is the time when you frantically search your data base or your brain and say, “Now, who can help me?” 

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One would think that with September behind us, all the scheduling for school events, business meetings, business trips, and project deadlines would be complete. Alas, work is never done and what we think was a manageable load becomes the creeping embers for potential burnout.  

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The Los Angeles Times recently reported that a $20 million gift is funding a UCLA institute studying the benefits of doing good for others. While skeptics might consider this just another California “woo woo” experiment, an interdisciplinary research approach is discovering that kindness to others alters genes that can lead to heart disease and certain cancers.  

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My colleague, John Mattone, has graciously allowed us to offer an excerpt of his new book The Intelligent Leader: Unlocking The Secrets To Leading Others And Leaving Your Legacy.  Resilient organizations must have excellent leaders who find and keep outstanding employees.  John shares what it takes to unlock leadership talent. 

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We have all heard the expression: “Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.” The same thing applies to words that we toss around so casually. Words color our imagination and evoke emotions. In fact, someone said recently said to me, “Don’t look for deficiencies. Look for proficiency.” The simple word changed my thought process. 

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It’s an epidemic: loneliness! And it’s felt around the globe! It’s not determined by the actual number of friends or social connections, but rather an absence of meaningful relationships. 

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