If you listen to the leadership gurus, you tend to hear that there are two possible outcomes in any relationship interaction: win-lose—which you are told to avoid—and win-win—which you are told to strive for at all costs. They’re not wrong, but I would like to suggest that they aren’t going far enough. What do I think you should be looking for when you interact with others? I can tell you in...

DON'T KILL YOUR DREAMS. As a responsible business person, I thought it was the right thing to do. I’m pleading guilty: in the one-pointed pursuit of my business endeavors, I killed off the most important passion of my youth. In visiting with entrepreneurs and other leaders, I’ve noticed a similar trend: Many have abandoned things they were passionate about in their earlier days in order to create wh...

Stretch opportunities are all the rage in the workplace. But as popular as they are, it’s unclear why some people decide to accept a stretch assignment or role – and others step aside. It’s also unclear why women haven’t benefited from stretches as much as men. Selena Rezvani is Be Leaderly’s VP of consulting and research and a recognized speaker on women and leadership. She recently led Be...

Do you take control of your own career? Or, do you wait for others to make your career decisions? How Autonomous Are You? Answer 'yes' or 'no.' 1. I often do things I don't want to do at work. 2. I accept responsibility for the work I do. 3. I'm usually self-reliant at work. 4. I perform tasks required in my job description. 5. I have little influence over things that happen to me at work. 6. I can us...

Do you have right or left brain thinking abilities? Or do you use both sides equally well? Although we use both hemispheres, scientists suggest we have preferences or strengths for one or the other. To be competitive in today's job market we must develop both creative and analytical thinking styles. Analytical and creative problem solving abilities rely on different skill sets. Sometimes the difference is describe...

We all know what the glass ceiling is and how it affects women in the workplace. Let me introduce you to the concept of the Velcro floor–and tell you one way leaders can help women pull away from it, starting now. If you knew the recipe for a solution to gender inequality at work, you’d share it, right? Well, I read a study the other day that opened my eyes to what women are saying about the lack of a level p...

Are you reluctant to try new things? Make big plans, but don't follow through? Tend to be critical of self and others? If so, you may be a perfectionist procrastinator. Perfectionism and procrastination often go hand-in-hand. Certain characteristics drive perfectionists to delay things. What does this quiz say about you? Are you a perfectionist procrastinator? Answer “yes” or “no.” 1....

John F. Kennedy once said “There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” No doubt he was referencing running a government. However, this same perspective applies to personal career development. We all have our “comfort zones”. Psychologically they can be seen as space, movements, and people with which we are familiar, withi...

So many of us have waited for the perfect job description to magically appear and make all of our career dreams come true. Or, a perfectly balanced life with less stress, more time to exercise, well-behaved kids and the ideal life partner. What are you waiting for? It’s time to stop wishing for great things to happen and take action. Change the World by Changing Yourself First Martha Hoover, former sex crimes pr...

Whether you’ve been staying home with children, recovering from a major illness or unemployed for any reason, getting hired after a long break can be tough. How can you convince skeptical employers that you’re ready to jump back into the nine-to-five? One: Demonstrate Your Commitment Employers want employees who are passionately committed to the line of work they’re hiring for. Ways to show your dedica...