Best of thoughtLEADERS 2013: The Greatest Posts EVER

It’s time again for our year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2013. It’s time for the 2013 edition of The Figgies which are the awards we give ourselves for writing awesome blog content (here are the 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 editions of those awards).

This is an annual event at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. This list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work. There’s also a kicker bonus post on the list just for good measure.  Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so I have two small requests as your holiday gift to me (you are getting me something, right?):

1. Invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we all get better is by raising everyone’s game. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email folks and tell ’em to come take a look.

2. Pick up a copy of One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful Personal Leadership (especially if you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts for bosses, team members, or your mom – she’ll love it). I talk a lot about the book because I’m evangelical about the topic. Buy it. Read it. In the words of Roland Smith (former CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s) “It could change your life.”  To get a sense for what the book is about, read this free ChangeThis Leadership Manifesto which is based on the book.  If you like the manifesto, you’ll love the book.

Thanks for your incredible support in ’13 and best wishes for ’14! We hope to be a part of your future success!

Enough blahbitty blah. Here’s the best stuff we’ve written all year:

Best Wake-up Call: What a Heart Attack Taught Me About Balance.  Yes, I had a heart attack a few weeks ago and it was a much-needed wake-up call about taking care of myself and staying in balance.  Blogging about it was an efficient way to let my friends know the news.  I hope you can learn a few things about staying in balance from it.

Best Big Idea: How to Think About Your Leadership Legacy. We all want to leave our mark on the world but can only do so if we’re deliberate and thoughtful about how to do it.  This post covers the major things you need to think about and plan for as you consider your leadership legacy.

Best Use of Vanilla Ice to Make a Point: 5 Steps to Fixing Your Problem Solving. You’re responsible for solving problems every day.  You can use a simple, structured process for doing so and the odds of you being successful at solving those problems will go up dramatically.

Best Get More Stuff Done Guidance: Decision Making – You’re Doing it Wrong. A leader’s ability to make decisions quickly and balance between time, risk, and information is a critical skill.  If you’d like to improve your decision making skills beyond shaking a Magic 8 Ball, check out this post.

Best Kindergarten-Style Advice: The ABC’s of Leadership. So I thought “Gee, it’ll be easy to come up with 26 leadership concepts each beginning with a letter of the alphabet.”  It was harder than I thought but the result was well worth it.  26 great leadership ideas that you can sing along to (ABCDEFG…).

Best Ranty Post: Quit Being a Critic and Go Create Something. Being a critic is easy but creating something takes time, energy, risk, and talent.  In this post, I kind of go off on critical people and challenge them to instead be leaders and create something new and worthwhile.

Best Parental Tribute: Lead Like Your Mom. This isn’t a “your momma” joke.  This post explores some of the leadership skills I learned from my mom over the years without realizing it.  Her guidance around taking interest in others, being affectionate, and getting mad have served me well and can help you too.

Best Guest Post: Perception is Reality – 8 Steps for Changing How Others See You. Joel Garfinkle is an expert on helping people change the way they’re perceived by others.  If you’re not happy with how you’re seen in your organization, this is a definite must-read.

Best Feedback Delivery Advice: Why it’s Important to Deliver Tough Feedback. Difficult conversations will always be difficult.  If you don’t tackle them quickly, you’re failing as a leader and the next conversation just gets harder. Here’s how to handle difficult conversations quickly and effectively.

Best Marching Band Insight: What a Marching Band Can Teach You About Leadership. The Ohio State Marching Band is definitely the best damned band in the land.  They can teach you a few things about how you can effectively lead large organizations to do some miraculous things.

Best Social Media Guidance: My Daughter is Kicking Your Company’s Butt at Social Media. Your company can learn a few things about social media from my thirteen year-old daughter.  She was able to get her YouTube videos to go viral and a few of the things she learned can help your social media presence.

Best Rainbow Cookie Metaphor: How to Handle Getting Layered at Work. Getting layered at the office sucks.  It’s awkward and can cause massive morale issues.  Whether you’re the one getting layered or doing the layering, you can avoid a lot of issues by reading this post.

So there’s the best stuff we published this year. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for all your support this year. I’m really looking forward to sharing more ideas with you in 2014!

Again – please invite your friends to come check us out (just share, tweet, or email this post for starters) and also grab your copy of One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC