December 2009
Year end is a time for reflection. Last year, we witnessed the historic election of Barak Obama. This year, we have watched his administration tackle a number of large issues. Next year, we are all hoping to see positive signs of recovery.
Where does Obama’s approval rating rank compared to other presidents? Fortunately, we can find out for ourselves.
Thanks to Gallup and USA Today, the presidential approval trackers lets anyone compare approval ratings for every president since Harry Truman either by date or by number of days in office. For example, you can see that Gerald Ford had an approval rating of 42 percent during Dec. 6-9, 1974, or you can compare Obama with Bush 43, Bush 41, and Richard Nixon on Day 100 in office. It’s a dead heat with everyone between 55-65 percent approval.
Interestingly, the Gallup charts show only Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have left office with significantly higher ratings than when they entered.
USA Today’s presidential approval tracker
December 2009
Forbes Insights, in association with Google, surveyed more than 350 executives at U.S. companies with annual sales exceeding $1 billion about their use of the Internet.
The survey categorizes Generation PC as executives under 50 and Generation Netscape as those under 40.
The findings demonstrate clearly that top executives are actively using the Internet on their own to find information online. The primary findings from the survey are:
- A generational shift is occurring in the C-suite that is transforming how they use the Internet.
- The Internet is the C-suite’s top information resource.
- Members of the C-suite search for information themselves.
- When they go to locate information, the C-suite first turns to mainstream search engines.
- Video and online networks are emerging as C-suite tools.
- Executives in IT are the most prevalent users of the Internet for information gathering.
- Executives under 40 (Generation Netscape) are the most willing to engage with emerging Internet technologies, such as social media.
Download The Rise of the Digital C-Suite: How Executives Locate and Filter Business Information (PDF / registration required).
December 2009
Next time you have a tough problem, try using the following question to start the process:
We want [insert audience, e.g. associates] to [insert desired behavior, e.g be more accountable].
This simple sentence, which can spark a lot of debate, ensures that everyone is on the same page about the problem and focuses on appropriate solutions.
December 2009
Ah, the end of the year. Time for those all-important performance reviews and planning for 2010.
The strength of an organization is proportional to the strength of its people to lead — first themselves, then critical functions of the organization, and, ultimately, the organization itself.
The following are five levels of leadership that any company can consider when developing 2010 performance plans.
| Level |
What it involves |
Applies to |
| Personal |
- Managing promises
- Being a good team player
- Accountability
- Respect for others
- Being an ambassador for the company
|
Everyone in the organization |
| Project |
- Managing multiple responsibilities
- Coordinating actions among multiple employees
|
Project leaders. This can be anyone in the organization assigned to lead a specific project. |
| Client |
- Fostering a deep client relationship
- Annual client planning
- Managing a team of people
- Setting and managing priorities
- Industry perspective, especially trends and competition
- Business development
|
Client team leaders |
| Organizational |
- Managing an organizational function (e.g. HR, IT, marketing, etc.)
- Balancing organizational priorities with client priorities
|
Leadership or associates being groomed for leadership |
| Strategic |
- Protecting mission and vision
- Charting the future for the organization
- Building an engaging culture
- Annual organization planning
- Maintaining financial soundness
- Developing new business
|
CEO, president, and other top leaders |
December 2009
Talking Points Memo (TPM) is a must-read publication for professionals and media involved in politics. Time magazine named TPM the top blog in 2009. TPM specializes in original reporting on government and politics and offers breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and high profile guest bloggers.
December 2009
Fearless Leadership by Dr. Loretta Malandro
In October, we wrote about leadership expert Dr. Loretta Malandro and her belief every business leader has blindspots. We decided to delve further with Malandro’s book Fearless Leadership.
Malandro defines a blindspot as an unproductive behavior that undermines success and business relationships.
Fearless Leadership explores the top 10 blindspots that Malandro and her team have identified through extensive research. They are:
- Going it alone
- Being insensitive to your impact on others
- Having an “I know” attitude
- Avoiding difficult conversations
- Blaming others or circumstances
- Treating commitments casually
- Conspiring against others
- Withholding emotional commitment
- Not taking a stand
- Tolerating “good enough”
Malandro believes that solving blindspots are critical to organizational success. She provides convincing evidence from her work with professionals around the world that organization change does not happen until leadership changes. The book provides detail on each blindspot, excellent examples from Malandro’s practice, and strategies that leaders can use to diagnose and overcome their own blindspots.
