Are You Confident About Corporate Leadership?

It appears that corporate leadership has suffered poor public relations in recent years. Large corporations are blind-sighting us with enormous amounts of data and information we may not know what to do with. The demonstrations by like-minded, good-intentioned, people outside Wall Street paints the current perceptual picture. The defiant posture of multinationals tend to be: If you cannot convince them, confuse them. Seems to have worked over the last few years with banking and financial institutions selling products that many cannot pay off during hardship. There is suggestion that ‘Servant Leadership’ exists yet how often does staff experience this? If staff prefer to avoid facing the ‘Chief’ how is this leadership felt and experienced?

I foresee corporate leadership books to take a plunge in sales, as it defies our expectations and defiles our belief about the C-level team. We are better off reading biographies of entrepreneurs and works of fiction. Few bestselling books on the non-fiction list command our selective attention. New media propagates what the tribes decide and determine to be fashionable or popular. Populist choices are not necessarily the best for us, or objective enough for us to part with our dollars and sense.

Key questions to ask of our leadership are: What are their personal values? Which are the most valuable roles a CEO can play in bolstering leadership capabilities and growing a company? What are the strategies to managing business changes and stages, based on what works, what does not work, and developing the ability to spot potential for change and growth going forward? Which are the solutions to challenges such as motivating and managing human capital? How do they find financing on the fluctuating and facetious market? What about raw materials pricing, and what is to be expected in the coming months? What is the overall success of entrepreneurs emerging from the recession? How do you spur innovation and entrepreneurship?

I have decided to stick to fictional works, reading short stories and novels. I also enjoy books on history for it reminds us of lessons of the foibles and feebleness of the human conditions, as well as the seven deadly sins. Authors have a way of engaging our hearts and minds in print. The keyboard may be mightier than a weapon. In the early-1980’s, The One-Minute Manager books were a hit for their brevity and storybook style of teaching.

Even self-help books can be useful and, at the least, an entertaining read. I foresee books on wellness and well-being to dominate our shelves. Feeling better is more relevant than feeling depressed and hopeless. We can tend to our sense of sanguineness by taking care of our mind, body and spirit. Exercise your body, and exercise your other options. We do have choices. Sift through what we may not have discovered or considered.

Leadership Lessons: Be well. Do some good for others. Stay focused.