Leadership Skills

You’re not above any work you have the skills to perform. Acting like you are will earn you nothing but disdain. So get down in the mud and turn the wrench.

Most Americans know about “saving face,” the Asian concept of preserving reputation, dignity and prestige. Less known is having a “thick face,” or being tough and adaptable while still saving face. There’s more to having a thick face, as defined by a Western businessman who worked for many years in China:

When we think about communicating information correctly, we think that more information is better. But it’s not, says author and behavioral economist Dan Ariely. He offers an example.

When quarterbacks do their post-game interviews, they don’t apologize for winning a game by less than the point spread. Why? Because they’re trained to care about the real game, the one on the field.

“It takes more courage to stop than to start. Anyone can start something new. It takes real leaders to stop something old,” writes Dan Rockwell.

Fred Keller, founder and CEO of Cascade Engineering, built a $250 million company by constantly asking what good it could do, what need could it fill. His compass: a wallet card bearing the words of theologian John Wesley.

If your company’s measurement system is a mess, consider the seven deadly sins formulated by Pope Gregory the Great: gluttony, greed, wrath, lust, sloth, envy and pride. Now compare those to the seven sins of corporate measurement:

Think about how you want your organization described, in clear, jargon-free words that anyone would understand. Then describe it the way your best customer would ... If you travel a lot, but aren’t willing to shell out for business class, consider Priority Pass.

In 1997 Daimler Benz AG executives were toasting the successful introduction of a new class of car geared toward younger drivers, especially women and young families. Then they received an urgent phone call. The car had failed the “Moose Test.” Mercedes’ mistake?

Leaders may believe they’re “plugged in,” but their words and actions may create a disconnect. A recent poll by Maritz Research shows that a mere 11% of employees strongly agree that their managers show a consistency between their words and actions. How plugged in are you?