If you really want to build a collaborative team, make sure you look like you do!
He had assembled a multi-level, multi-functional group – a diagonal slice of 30 people from across the organization – and had taken them off-site for two days to co-create the necessary steps for achieving the company’s new strategic plan. The hope was that collaboration and knowledge sharing would begin at this meeting and expand from…
Leaders can sabotage a great presentation if they underestimate the power of body language
Once upon a time a group of rising-star executives gathered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to take part in a special competitive event. Each was to present a business plan to be evaluated by the entire group. The best ideas would then be recommended to a team of venture capitalists for final evaluation.…
You have only seven seconds to make a first impression, so make the most of them
You've spent hours crafting the perfect resume. The format is eye-catching and the wording is practically perfect. But you'll need much more than a well-crafted resume if you want to land your first job! You have only seven seconds to make a first impression, and once the interviewer has labelled you as submissive or confident, credible…
From email to phone calls to video conferencing, how to manage what you project to make the best leadership impression
Being perceived as a leader is the essence of leadership presence. While most of my coaching focuses on helping leaders enhance their presence in face-to-face encounters, I also realize that a different set of skills is required for projecting leadership presence when communicating virtually. Communication mediums run a spectrum from lean to rich. A lean…
Men retain their perceived likeability when promoted, while women are seen as aggressive and bossy
He’s the boss. You’ve become bossy. He’s assertive and confident. You’re seen as aggressive and domineering. He’s successful and liked. You were better liked before you got promoted. Enter the Double-Bind paradox, which states that as males rise in rank and status at work, they retain (and often increase) their perceived likeability – so they…
How the prime minister presented himself during his town hall meetings across Canada tell us a great deal more than he may have wanted to reveal
What does the body politic learn from a political leader's body language? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's town hall tour of the nation offered a tremendous opportunity to study how he interacts with average Canadians – and to try to understand the subliminal messages his body language and speech patterns sent to us all. Maya Angelou…