With the critical US midterm elections less than one week away, it’s safe to say the stakes are higher than ever. According to the Washington Post, ‘This is the Most Important Election of your Lifetime. Or is it,’ “President Biden recently said that the upcoming midterms would be “one of the most important elections in our lifetime.” Divisive and explosive issues include abortion rights, crime, democracy, immigration, inflation, and the state of the economy. With tensions at an all-time high, it really gave me pause, and got me thinking. Thinking about civic engagement, and how it is our duty as leaders to incentivize our companies and employees to actively participate in society in positive ways. We need to create a safe space for employees to stand for something, and give them agency to take action through both political and non-political acts. Now is NOT the time to sit by the sidelines and assume others will take positive action. In my November LinkedIn article I want to explore the topic of civic engagement, and how we as leaders can create a company culture that embodies it.
“Executive presence!” A magical buzzword and phrase often whispered in meetings and throughout the [virtual] office. Interestingly enough, it is an ambiguous concept, even a contentious topic at times, and generally a term that many leaders and employees struggle to define and understand. It is most definitely an elusive, intangible characteristic that great leaders are consistently trying to cultivate. Is it the Holy Grail? The je ne sais quoi factor of leadership skills? Perhaps. Executive presence is multi-dimensional; a highly nuanced skill that can be learned. Embodying it is critical to your success, as well as the success of your business or organization. And in the current leadership environment, it is a foundational quality required to move to the next level.
I cannot believe that it is already the second week of September. Here in the northern hemisphere, many of you parents have children who are already back in school, or they will be very soon. This is the third time our kiddos are heading back to school since the onset of the global pandemic.
Employee burnout is at an all-time high, exacerbated by the lingering effects of the global pandemic. Pandemic-related stress has profoundly affected the mental health and well-being of employees across all levels.
Over the past two years our communities, economies, workplaces and the planet as a whole have been gravely disrupted by the global pandemic, and more recently the war in Ukraine. What can you as a leader do to get the world back on track? How can your work positively contribute to the well-being of the environment and society? And why is this part of a talent recruitment strategy? I invite you to read on to learn more!
