In Tough Times Passion Keeps Businesses Afloat

In our book, Liberating Passion, Paul B. Brown and I contend that businesses seek passionate people. This matters in tough economic times more than ever. Why? Because passionate commitment converts potential talent into the actual performance that struggling businesses need to survive. Moreover, the opposites – apathy and disengagement – are poor ways to get a return-on-talent (or a return on the ability/energy, for that matter, of our human assets).

Yet seeking to infuse passion in people is misguided. Passion is natural. Capable people abound with passion, at least in the areas in which they are talented. In fact, we see people passionate about so many aspects of life. If work isn’t one of those, it’s because companies institutionalize “passion killers.” Through mediocre leadership practices, dysfunctional teams, poor communication and dispiriting work cultures, companies become passion castrators.


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About the Author

Omar Khan is founder and senior partner of Sensei International, a global leadership development firm. The above article is adapted from his book Liberating Passion: How the World’s Best Global Leaders Produce Winning Results (Wiley & Sons).

Leadership Inspiration – Cronyism and the Unaccountable

“The opposite of accountability is not indifference; it is cronyism.”

Author Unknown

Leadership Inspirations – Attitude

“Attitude is the foundation and support for everything you do. It’s the key element in the process of controlling your destiny.”

Keith D. Harrell
Motivational speaker, America’s Attitude Coach

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 28 – An Interview with Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level

StrategyDriven Podcasts focus on the tools and techniques executives and managers can use to improve their organization’s alignment and accountability to ultimately achieve superior results. These podcasts elaborate on the best practice and warning flag articles published on the StrategyDriven website.

Special Edition 28 – An Interview with Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level examines how world-class leaders create a compelling vision; ensuring their employees know who the leader is, where they are going, and the values that will guide the journey. During our discussion, Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level, Revised and Expanded Edition: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, shares with us his insights and illustrative examples regarding:

  • the value of focusing the organization on the ‘Tripple Bottom Line’
  • the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of a high performing organization
  • what the High Performing Organization (HPO) Scores model is and how it can be used to identify organizational performance improvement opportunities
  • using Situational Leadership to foster improved individual and team performance
  • establishing and reinforcing individual accountability
  • what differentiates servant leadership from traditional leadership approaches and why this approach is so powerful
  • benefits of developing and communicating a leadership point of view

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Ken shares in Leading at a Higher Level and this special edition podcast are the additional resources accessible from his website at www.KenBlanchard.com.   Ken’s book, Leading at a Higher Level, can be purchased by clicking here.

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About the Author

Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level, is Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a global leader in workplace learning, employee productivity, leadership, and team effectiveness. Ken has had a profound impact on the practice of management around the world. His bestseller, The One Minute Manager, has been published in 27 different languages and sold 13 million copies. His 17 business bestsellers include Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service, High Five! The Magic of Working Together, and The Secret: What Great Leaders Know – And Do. To read Ken’s full biography, click here.

Adjusting Your Character Settings: The Authenticity of Leadership

If you are a member of Facebook, then you may be aware that the default privacy settings are being changed. I don’t lay awake at night worrying that someone is going to do something awful with the information that I post on Facebook, but I took the recommendation to adjust my settings so that only my “friends” can see my wall, photos and have access to any personal information on the site.

After I did this, I noticed that a friend had posted a link to directions for changing the settings. I was thankful to get the extra help because there was one setting that I had forgotten. But as I read down through the very long document, I was dismayed at the length some people will go to customize their privacy settings. I understand the need to protect your identity and all of that. But so much of this document alluded to adjusting settings to protect your image with certain people.


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About the Author

Shelli Stinson is the VP of Business Development at WealthBridge Connect. She brings experience from education, sales and marketing as well as project management. Most recently, Shelli was the employee wellness manager at Northern Kentucky University. In this position, she learned how much influence that leadership has on the physical, emotional and mental wellness of employees in the workplace. After graduating from NKU with a Masters degree in Executive Leadership and Organizational Change, she joined WealthBridge Connect. In this new role, she hopes to influence businesses to invest in their employees through comprehensive leadership development initiatives, promoting healthier and more productive workplaces- from the top down and the inside out.