Voting is the Hallmark of Freedom

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In the United States, we are privileged to have the right to elect those who represent us in our federal, state, and local governments. This hallmark of our freedom, however, is not without a price. To protect this right, we must give of ourselves and our time by voting in our free elections.

And so on this Election Day, the StrategyDriven contributors and staff encourage all those who can vote to vote. We believe the strength of our country rests with our commitment to freedom. By voting, we honor the sacrifices for freedom made by all those who came before us and pass along the gift of freedom to the next generation of Americans.

All the Best,

StrategyDriven Contributors and Staff

Leadership Inspirations – Incompetence Begets Incompetence

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“Incompetency begets incompetency. The last thing a guy who isn’t sure of himself wants is a guy backing him up who is sure of himself.”

Lee Iacocca
former President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, Chrysler Corporation

The sad fact is that this situation occurs all too often. Instead of nurturing their rising stars, insecure executives and managers feel their positions and reputations are threatened by these top performers and act to:

  • take personal credit for the rising star’s performance output and results
  • hide the star performer from the view of other executives and managers by preventing their participation in cross disciplinary initiatives, public presentations, and interaction with other executives and managers
  • diminish the star’s performance evaluation ratings with claims that the star intimidates seniors and/or is too aggressive

These behaviors disenfranchise star performers; resulting in reduced output and elevated attrition. The net result, of course, is diminished organizational performance and value creation, the exact opposite of what the executive or manager is charged to achieve.

Insecure executives and managers fail to recognize that they are not competing with their subordinates. Executives and managers are evaluated on their ability to lead others to the achievement of superior results, their subordinates on their ability to perform the tasks from which those results are derived. Therefore, subordinates’ superior performance does not place executives and managers at risk. To the contrary, a subordinate’s superior performance is often attributed to the capable leadership of the individual’s manager. Competent executives and managers understand this concept and surround themselves with superstar performers. Incompetent and insecure executives and managers do not recognize this fact and subsequently surround themselves with even less competent subordinates; condemning themselves and their organizations to inferior performance.

StrategyDriven Podcast Episode 24 – The Influence of Personal Alignment on Organizational Performance

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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 posts on the StrategyDriven website.

Episode 24 – The Influence of Personal Alignment on Organizational Performance examines three personal alignment mechanisms and their impact on an organization’s overall performance. During our discussion, Tony Simons, author of The Integrity Dividend and Associate Professor at Cornell University where he teaches organizational behavior, negotiation, and leadership, shares with us his insights regarding:

  • authenticity, the alignment between an individual’s inner and outer self
  • behavioral integrity, the alignment between an individual’s words and actions
  • organizational alignment, the alignment between an individual’s actions and organizational goals

Additional Information

Complimenting the tremendous insights Tony shares in the podcast and his book, The Integrity Dividend, are the additional materials and resources found on his website, Integrity Dividend (www.IntegrityDividend.com). Tony’s book, The Integrity Dividend, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider rating us on iTunes by clicking here. Rating the StrategyDriven Podcast and providing your comments online improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community.

Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

About the Author

Tony Simons, author of The Integrity Dividend, is an Associate Professor at Cornell University where he teaches organizational behavior, negotiation, and leadership. Tony is also a business consultant and speaker who focuses on trust in leaders, executive team member trust, and trust in supply chain relationships. To read Tony’s full biography, click here.

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We Need Your Vote! for Podcast of the Year

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The entire StrategyDriven team is deeply honored to have received 1 of the 10 nominations for Podcast Awards’ Podcast of the Year in the General category.

And now, we ask for your support to help us further strengthen and grow our community by voting for the StrategyDriven Podcast for Podcast Awards’ 2008 Business Podcast of the Year – General.

To vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast as the 2008 Business Podcast of the Year – General:

  1. Click here to go to the Podcast Awards nomination website (www.PodcastAwards.com).
  2. Scroll down to the “General” category area.
  3. Select the StrategyDriven Podcast.
  4. Enter your name in the Your Details text box labeled Your Full Name located at the bottom of the page.
  5. Enter your email address in the Your Details text box labeled Your E-Mail Address.
  6. Select listener, podcaster, or both as appropriate.
  7. Click Submit.

Please note that you can vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast every day! So please vote for us often.

Again, I’d like to thank you for your ongoing support of the StrategyDriven Podcast and hope you continue to enjoy and benefit from our show.

All the Best,

Karen Juliano
Editor-in-Chief
Director, Communications and Marketing
StrategyDriven



StrategyDriven Strategic Planning Best Practice Article

Strategic Planning Best Practice 11 – One Priority List

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The cliche 'if everything is a priority, nothing is' couldn't describe a more damaging situation than when it occurs pervasively throughout an organization. All too often, organizations and their divisions, departments, and workgroups work from priority lists that have neither been reconciled nor aligned.

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