atkinson advisor

Dr. Loretta Malandro specializes in executive communication. She is an expert on the blind spots – those automatic behaviors that can trap many leaders.

Malandro points out that these behaviors are not flaws, but they can influence decision-making, sabotage results, and have other unintended consequences.

Every executive is susceptible to blind spots. The following are the most common blind spots Malandro find in executives:

• Trying to do too much, a.k.a going it alone.
• Insensitivity to their impact on others.
• Avoiding difficult conversations.

Read more from Malandro at BusinessWeek or on her company’s website. Her new book, Fearless Leadership, is now available at Amazon.com.

Read through six traits of CEOs likely to have enduring greatness. Then score yourself on each question using a scale of 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree.

How are your chances for leading enduring greatness? Add up all of your scores and compare them to the chart below.

The hottest social media tools will come and go. Their impact — namely the ability to converse directly with your key audiences — is here to stay.

Clients frequently ask if they should get into social media. We believe they should, but only by adding social media tools to the mix of their overall communication strategy.

It’s essential to take a step back, understand how each tool works, and map out a strategy before diving in by creating a Twitter account or setting up your company’s Facebook fan page.

Bill Seaver, our friend at MicroExplosion Media, has a three-step model for venturing into social media that we think makes a lot of sense.

1. Monitor. Learn about the different social media tools and find out how people are using them to talk about your company, your competition, and your industry. Are other companies you admire using Twitter to interact with clients? What are bloggers saying about you, and which ones are influential enough to affect opinion? Observe how people interact with one another and the brands that you want to model. Also observe how frequently people post, tweet, comment, etc. so you can assess the time involved.
2. Participate. With a better lay of the land, you can start joining the conversation by commenting on blogs, posting messages on forums, or writing on a Facebook wall.
3. Create. Now you’re ready. Creating involves possibly starting your own blog or launching a Twitter account. You may even decide to host your own social network. At this stage you’ll want to continue monitoring and participating, because new tools—and new conversations—are being created every day.

Interviews are part of every CEO’s job. Reporters often ask a question along the lines of, “So, tell me more about your company.”

Here’s a go-to answer CEOs can use every time.

“[Company name] has been in business since [insert date]. We help clients solve the following problems: [list three problems]. Do you mind if I tell you a quick client story?”

The reporter will inevitably say, “Sure.”

The CEO then tells the client story that illustrates at least one of the problems the company solves.

This introduction gives the reporter three key elements he or she needs to write a good story:

1. An opening. The client story will likely be the introduction – also known as the lede – to the story. It helps to engage readers and makes them want to know more about the story of the company.
2. The problems the company solves become the body of the story – here are two or three ways that clients benefit from using the company. The reporter will likely ask for elaboration on each of the problems and how your solution works.
3. The company history provides the perspective. If the company has been in business for a long time, the CEO has a platform to talk about the changes the company has made to adapt to the market. If the business is just starting, it’s the perfect opportunity to talk about the reasons for launching the business and the market potential.

CEOs are often integral parts of a company’s brand. Forces that threaten to harm the CEO also can damage a company’s bottom line.

That’s the case with Apple and Steve Jobs, who is trying to protect his privacy while shareholders, customers, and the media speculate about what his health-related issues could mean for the future of the company. CEO health is one of those rare battles where important laws – rights of individuals to protect personal health information and rights of shareholders to protect their investments – are at play on each side.

At some point, a court will be forced to make a decision about which set of laws are more important. Until that time, we can only examine the prevailing forces.

The first set of forces is regulation. No rules specifically address CEO health, but two principles apply:

1. If a company discusses a CEO’s health issues, its disclosures must be “full and accurate.”
2. A company must disclose each quarter “any known risk, event, trend or uncertainty” that could affect “future results of operations.” 

Every company will have to decide for itself what information is necessary to meet this regulation.

The second set of forces is confidence. Companies sometimes live and die by the confidence others place in their CEOs. Information is to confidence what oxygen is to humans. Without it, confidence and often the stock price wane.

The investment world will be watching Apple closely over the next year. During Jobs’ leave of absence, the company will have the chance to see how its stock – and reputation – performs while the face of the company takes a lower profile.

The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is known worldwide for the skills its employees have to anticipate guests’ needs and create memorable experiences. Two simple formulas – one to avoid and one to embrace – can help managers drive and encourage employee innovation.

RAIN = R + A + IN

Resist the idea
Assume why the idea is flawed
Insist the idea won’t work – repeatedly

SUN = S + U + N

Suspend judgment on why the idea might not work
Understand more about the idea (“Tell me more.” or “Why are you so excited?”)
Nurture a thoughtful response and decision