By John F. McVea JANUARY 24, 2021 — 2:00PM Q: What insights do you need to have to succeed in the technology industry? A: You don’t need to be an expert technologist to make a big impact in technology. Mary Grove, who worked at Google and is the managing partner of Bread & Butter Ventures, said…

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“The Self-Evolved Leader was written to take you on a journey, from making the critical shift in perspective needed to break the cycle of mediocre leadership, to building a foundation for effective leadership, strengthening the disciplines you need to deliver great leadership, and ending with a plan for mastering and sustaining leadership” (McKeown, 2020, p.…

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MOO uses its values as a model for what it means to be exceptional. You’ve probably seen MOO’s catchy business cards that “capture and hold” your attention. If you haven’t, MOO creates business cards known for being out of the ordinary. Think rounded corners, luxe papers, and snazzy designs. For over 10 years, MOO has…

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Neuroscientist Uri Hasson researches the basis of human communication, and experiments from his lab reveal that even across different languages, our brains show similar activity, or become “aligned,” when we hear the same idea or story. This amazing neural mechanism allows us to transmit brain patterns, sharing memories and knowledge. “We can communicate because we…

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There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world — and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language — from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words…

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Organizations are often run according to “the superchicken model,” where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. And yet, this isn’t what drives the most high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan observes that it is social cohesion “built every coffee break, every time one team member asks another for help” that leads…

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We get stronger, not weaker, by engaging with ideas and people we disagree with, says Zachary R. Wood. In an important talk about finding common ground, Wood makes the case that we can build empathy and gain understanding by engaging tactfully and thoughtfully with controversial ideas and unfamiliar perspectives. “Tuning out opposing viewpoints doesn’t make…

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Project Aristotle studied the characteristics that create effective teams at Google and offered tips for helping teams take action to increase team effectiveness: Psychological safety: Team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable. (Actions: Solicit input and opinions, and share personal and work style preferences.) Dependability: Members reliably complete quality work on time. (Actions:…

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Motivation can be thwarted in many ways. Fortunately, the research provides some great tools for diagnosing and improving motivation. Q: How can I incentivize my employees to produce more? A: Employee performance is generally a function of ability, opportunity and motivation. The first thing you should do is determine which of these factors are contributing…

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Q: How can I create a culture of organizational creativity? A: Fostering organizational creativity requires making creativity a strategic priority. Making time to generate ideas or think is seen as a luxury or something that’s done during annual planning or in a crisis. Organizations that have creative cultures dedicate time to generating new ideas. Fostering…

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