How Leaders Can Make Their Dark Side Brighter
There can’t be many of us who haven’t at some point in our working lives come across leaders who have a ‘dark’ side. Maybe in the past, you’ve worked for a manager who’s a bit of a narcissist – someone who truly believes they are head and shoulders above everyone else, is arrogant in the extreme and only happy when they are basking in the glow of admiration from others.
Or perhaps you’ve been unfortunate enough to encounter someone with Machiavellian tendencies. A calculating, master manipulator, who has no morals and will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. You might even have come across a psychopath – a cold, unstable and aggressive leader who appears to be completely lacking in empathy and behaves in unpredictable ways.
Read More
Mood-Boosting Power of Dogs
How Caring for a Dog Helps You Cope with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
If you've ever owned a pet, you already know how much fun and affection they can bring. But did you know that pets also come with some pretty powerful mental and physical health benefits? Dogs, in particular, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for a dog can help children grow up more secure and active or provide valuable companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a dog can add real joy and unconditional love to your life.
Read More
5 Signs Your Fashion Work Culture is Toxic
Dread. Anxiety. Boredom. Fear. Anger.
If these words describe your feelings about your job, you might be in a toxic work culture.
While you may think you have a dream job, if the culture is toxic, it can turn into a nightmare very quickly. This is because toxic work cultures negatively impact our self-esteem, productivity, creativity and spiritual health, which in turn can contribute to burnout, relational challenges and negative health issues. Because of this, employees need to be able to identify the traits of a toxic work culture before it’s too late.
Read More
Signs You Might Be a Toxic Colleague
No one likes a toxic coworker. Even the most difficult people themselves would probably be the first to agree.
Which raises a question: If you were “toxic,” would you even know it? Is it possible that you are the one wreaking havoc on your team, making everyone else less productive and more miserable?
Of course not, you say. Because that’s what we all say.
Read More
How to Manage a Toxic Employee
There’s that one person on your team — the individual who has nothing positive to say riles up other team members and makes work life miserable. If you can’t fire him, how do you respond to his behaviour? What feedback do you give? How do you mitigate the damage he inflicts?
Read More
4 Ways to Deal With a Toxic Coworker
Lately, we have heard a lot from our clients about “toxic” coworkers and teammates. This issue isn’t new; there have been bad coworkers since the beginning of organised work. But these days, their impact feels bigger and more destructive. Businesses need teamwork to function. And teams need to be more collaborative, adaptable, and proactive than ever. The days of top-down decision making are long gone in many companies and industries, as it’s replaced by grassroots innovation that’s unleashed through coworkers openly networking and sharing information across boundaries. Because of this new dynamic, dysfunctional teammates can damage the results of a whole team in a way that was much harder to do in the old, siloed models of working.
Read More
Neutralise Your Toxic Boss
Toxic bosses. We have all seen them. They’re screamers, stressed-out micromanagers, volatile, untrustworthy, insecure nightmares to work with. They’re everywhere, and they do tremendous harm to the people around them and their organisations. And it seems that bad behaviour is on the rise. Why? Because people are freaking out about the economy. Our economic systems are careening wildly, not following the rules anymore, and it’s touching all of us, at home, in the grocery store, and at work. It could get a lot worse, and soon. It’s just plain scary.
Read More
3 Ways Leaders & Managers Create a Toxic Culture
Whether presiding over the entire company, a function, a region, or a business unit, the people at the top of an organisation have a disproportionate level of influence over those they lead. Those further down in the organisation look to their leaders for cues on what’s acceptable (and what isn’t), and the team’s habits — both good and bad — will be emulated. Having your actions play out publicly as if on a Jumbotron, is a huge responsibility, and unfortunately, too many teams don’t take this responsibility as seriously as they should. The consequences can be farther reaching than most leadership teams realise.
Read More
Wizarding wisdom: A lesson in leadership from Professor Dumbledore
In today’s complex world of uncertainty and change, what lessons can we take from the preeminent Professor Dumbledore about leadership, ethical decision-making, and integrity?
For many parents, one of the joys of having young children is being able to read aloud to them. And many of today’s parents must have read the wonderful Harry Potter series from start to finish, and then revelled in the glorious films. So, it is perhaps no surprise that many adults swear by the wisdom of the great modern-day philosopher, Professor Albus Dumbledore.
Read More
How to Advance in Your Career When Your Boss Won’t Help
I recently moderated a panel at a conference and asked the group of successful executives to describe someone who has been instrumental in their careers. Two panelists eagerly jumped in with stories of bosses who had mentored, encouraged, and opened doors for them. Then, hesitantly at first, the last person shared a far different experience.
Read More
All the Filas – how these £50 trainers broke the internet
They’re affordable, available on the high street and ‘ugly’. So why are they ranked second in the world’s most-coveted fashion items?
Read More
A three-step formula for rejuvenating family business in the age of complexity
Six decades of living for many individuals used to spur thoughts of applying the brakes to the speed of life, particularly working life. But recently, many who have completed what statistics would say is two-thirds of a hopeful lifespan are eager to launch their “third thirty.”
The intention is to forge on, to create anew, to own big change—to, well, continue. They pursue the third slice of life. The same pivotal juncture holds true for the lifespan of family businesses, as it does for today’s determined individual prolongers. They both share a deep desire to continue.
Read More
Leading in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) World
To operate successfully in today’s fast-moving, complex climate, leaders must often feel that they have to run just to keep still.
New technology comes in and disrupts markets almost overnight. Competitors emerge from unexpected corners. Political and economic situations shift rapidly, exposing organisations to unprecedented levels of risk and vulnerability.
We are indeed operating in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world—and it’s becoming clear that our comfortable, classic models of leadership don’t work in this constantly changing climate.
Read More
Sticking to your values in a VUCA environment: The challenges of working with integrity
The acronym often used to describe an environment of noise, mess, and doubt is VUCA. These four letters represent volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. It’s something that’s recognizable for many of us in our everyday lives.
Perhaps you’re managing a complex job with multiple pressures, and much of the day is spent doing a role that’s unrecognisable from the one you thought you’d signed up to. And maybe this is coupled with the responsibility you feel for your elderly parents who need attention. And your children, who not only want loving and feeding, but also need to visit the dentist and be to their swimming lesson on time.
Read More
Supply chains based on modern slavery may reach into the West
Many goods enjoyed in rich countries may have murky origin
IN THEORY slavery was completely abolished in 1981, when Mauritania became the last country to outlaw forced labour. In practice, however, it persists in many forms, some of them surprisingly blatant. In November CNN broadcast a grainy video depicting the auction of 12 migrant Nigerian men for farm work. When human trafficking and less extreme forms of coercion are included, slavery-like practices remain disturbingly common.
Read More
Survey: 68% of CEOs Admit They Weren’t Fully Prepared for the Job
CEOs are known for their confidence. It is, after all, one of the reasons they’ve made it to the top. And yet, that confidence sometimes flags, as we at leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder learned from a survey of 402 CEOs from 11 countries—executives who together run companies with $2.6 trillion in sales.
Read More
4 Ways to Create a Learning Culture on Your Team
By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Josh Bersin for Harvard Business Review
Technology is disrupting every industry and area of life, and work is no exception. One of the main career implications of the digital revolution is a shift in demand for human expertise. For instance, LinkedIn’s talent research shows that half of today’s most in-demand skills weren’t even on the list three years ago.
Read More
Using Laughter in Fashion as the Best Medicine
The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter
Sure, it’s fun to share a good laugh. But did you know it can actually improve your health? It’s true: laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults life tends to be more severe and laughter more infrequent. By seeking out more opportunities for humour and laughter, though, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life.
Read More
How to Mentor Someone Who Doesn’t Know What Their Career Goals Should Be
By Tania Luna and Jordan Cohen for Harvard Business Review
“Tell me about your career goals.” How often have you said this to a person you’re managing or mentoring, only to get a blank stare in return? Perhaps the person confides that they don’t know what their goals should be, or even whether there are opportunities to advance at your company. How do you begin to provide support?
Read More
Fashion & Suicidal ideation 2: Suicide Prevention
How to Help Someone who is Suicidal and Save a Life
A suicidal person may not ask for help, but that doesn't mean that help isn't wanted. People who take their lives don't want to die—they want to stop hurting. Suicide prevention starts with recognising the warning signs and taking them seriously. If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject. However, talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.
If you're thinking about suicide, please read Are You Feeling Suicidal? Alternatively, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) in the U.S. or Samaritans UK – 24-hour suicide support for people in the UK and Republic of Ireland (call 116 123). (Samaritans). To find a suicide helpline outside the U.S. or UK, visit IASP or Suicide.org.
Read More
