Corner Office, What’s the Mission? Your Troops Want to Hear It From You; New York Times, 3/26/11

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Doreen Lorenzo, president of Frog Design, an innovation firm in San FranciscoWhat’s the Mission? Your Troops Want to Hear It From You:

"Q. So how do you hire?

A. There’s a certain type of personality you look for, because the business changes so rapidly and it moves so fast. As I always say, “Jump on the train, it doesn’t stop.” So you’re looking for people who are, obviously, very talented, very smart, who like process but understand that process has to change, and who are very eclectic in their thoughts and are passionate. I look for people who have that sensibility. They come from diverse industries. They have conquered something.

They have to be very articulate, because, in our business, you have to explain complicated ideas that have never been done before."

Using Stories to Persuade; Harvard Business Review, 3/24/11

John Baldoni, Harvard Business Review; Using Stories to Persuade:

"Effective storytelling can serve anyone in leadership who seeks to persuade others to his or her point of view. Opinion-based rhetoric is often more polarizing than persuasive, while statistics are often go in one ear and out the other. But a careful blending of rhetoric and facts, woven into the right story, can change minds.

Shaping an effective story with a point of view is a learned skill. Here are some suggestions..."

Former Marine Corps Leader to Head Financially Troubled Birmingham-Southern College; Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/21/11

Jack Stripling, Chronicle of Higher Education; Former Marine Corps Leader to Head Financially Troubled Birmingham-Southern College:

"Mr. Law, who has studied military leaders for his scholarship on the history of terrorism, said he saw a lot of benefits in General Krulak's background.

"You have to be political" as a military leader, Mr. Law said. "You have to be diplomatic, and you have to be a good manager of an organization. You have to be able to articulate that organization's mission very well.""

Don't Be Nice; Be Helpful; Harvard Business Review, 3/16/11

Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review; Don't Be Nice; Be Helpful:

"Giving people feedback is an act of trust and confidence. It shows that you believe in their ability to change. That you believe they will use the information to become better. And that you have faith in their potential. It's also a sign of commitment to the team and to the larger purpose and goals of the organization. Because, ultimately, we're all responsible for our collective success."

Sleep is More Important than Food; Harvard Business Review, 3/3/11

Tony Schwartz, Harvard Business Review; Sleep is More Important than Food:

"In Anders Ericcson's famous study of violinists, the top performers slept an average of 8 ½ hours out of every 24, including a 20 to 30 minute midafternoon nap some 2 hours a day more than the average American.

The top violinists also reported that except for practice itself, sleep was second most important factor in improving as violinists."

A Changed Starbucks. A Changed C.E.O.; New York Times, 3/12/11

Claire Cain Miller, New York Times; A Changed Starbucks. A Changed C.E.O. :

"“There’s been more arguing, challenging and debate in the last two to three years than there’s ever been,” says Mr. Alstead, the chief financial officer.

Mr. Schultz’s take: “What leadership means is the courage it takes to talk about things that, in the past, perhaps we wouldn’t have, because I’m not right all the time.”

Born entrepreneurs are not necessarily born managers. You need creativity and drive to start a company, discipline and delegation to run one. In the last year, people who work closely with Mr. Schultz say, he has shown he can make the leap."

Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss; New York Times, 3/12/11

Adam Bryant, New York Times; Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss:

"...Mr. Bock’s group found that technical expertise — the ability, say, to write computer code in your sleep — ranked dead last among Google’s big eight. What employees valued most were even-keeled bosses who made time for one-on-one meetings, who helped people puzzle through problems by asking questions, not dictating answers, and who took an interest in employees’ lives and careers."

Why Your Boss Is Wrong About You; New York Times, 3/1/11

Samuel A. Culbert, New York Times; Why Your Boss Is Wrong About You:

"As anybody who has ever worked in any institution — private or public — knows, one of the primary ways employee effectiveness is judged is the performance review. And nothing could be less fair than that.

In my years studying such reviews, I’ve learned that they are subjective evaluations that measure how “comfortable” a boss is with an employee, not how much an employee contributes to overall results. They are an intimidating tool that makes employees too scared to speak their minds, lest their criticism come back to haunt them in their annual evaluations. They almost guarantee that the owners — whether they be taxpayers or shareholders — will get less bang for their buck."