2017 February AAL Newsletter
Want to be a better leader? Build your political skills
by Chad Brooks, Business News Daily, Oct. 6, 2016
According to a study recently published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal, strong political skills, such as building connections, fostering trust and influencing others are essential qualities of a transformational leader. “Most people think of ‘political skills’ as negative; however, as Andrew Wefald, a professor at Kansas State University, writes, these skills simply “build connections with other people.”
How safe do employees feel during times of change?
by Ed Batista, EdBatista.com Blog, Jan. 5, 2017
Organizational change can threaten employees’ sense of safety, so it’s important to recognize the factors that influence psychological safety, namely, status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness, writes Ed Batista. He continues, “The best way to combat this is to build a feedback-rich culture, to make feedback less stressful, and to explicitly welcome it ourselves.”
Dr. King and the power of humility
by N. Karl Haden & Rob Jenkins, 9 Virtues Blog, Jan. 16, 2017
In 1963, the imprisoned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. penned “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” a letter that has since come to be regarded as one of the seminal documents of the Civil Rights movement. But what was it that made his argument so powerful? “For one thing, he immediately identified a persuadable audience,” write Haden and Jenkins. “But even more important, he approached those people with humility.”
How the art of compromise has redefined my leadership
by Elise Mitchell, SmartBrief, Jan. 6, 2017
Most leaders are not the only member of a team with decision-making power, so compromise is essential, notes Elise Mitchell. “It’s allowed me to assemble strong teams, broker mutually beneficial deals, gather innovative ideas, work with dream clients and gain advantages over our competition,” she writes.
Humility – it’s more than an act
by Bernie Swain, ThoughtLeadersLLC.com Blog, Jan. 9, 2017
Humility is a key ingredient of effective and successful leadership, writes Bernie Swain. Merely acting humble isn’t as effective as being humble, however. Swain suggests practicing introspection to find the moments in life that have helped you succeed, and draw inspiration from those moments.
The ten behaviors of strong personal leadership
by Scott Eblin, EblinGroup.com Blog, Jan. 19, 2017
The strongest leaders can lead themselves as well as others, writes Scott Eblin. He offers ten behaviors he’s observed in such leaders, including self-reflection, strong listening skills and the ability to shift gears when needed.
