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Mike Figliuolo

About Mike Figliuolo

This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Mike Figliuolo contributed 1284 entries already.

Entries by Mike Figliuolo

When dealing with someone who is manipulative, how do you react?

June 3, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: When dealing with someone who is manipulative, how do you react? I get away from them as fast as I can: 18% I actively combat their manipulation and confront them on it: 16% I try to understand why they’re doing it and avoid the trap: 61% I try to manipulate them right back: 4% I just let it happen: 2% Beware the manipulator. 77% of you either actively battle against a manipulator’s efforts or try to understand their motivations and avoid the trap they’re setting for you. Most of the rest of you try to get away from them as best you can. Unfortunately there are situations where you’ll be challenged to get away – especially if they’re a teammate or a boss. Invest the time in understanding their motivations. Those motives might not make sense to you but that doesn’t matter. You simply need to understand the motivations and see how their behaviors can harm you or, more productively, how you can resolve whatever the conflict is either by meeting their needs or getting them to look at the situation differently. Regardless of the situation, avoid the temptation to manipulate them in return. Those situations rarely end well. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How does your organization view older job candidates?

May 27, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How does your organization view older job candidates? They’re highly desirable because of their experience and wisdom: 26% They’re desirable in certain situations requiring specific expertise: 22% They’re as desirable as any other candidate: 33% They’re less desirable because of cost or short future work horizons: 10% They’re undesirable because of cost, future work horizons and culture fit: 10% Does your recruiting execution match your needs? 48% of you said your organizations view older candidates as highly desirable or desirable for specific roles. Another 1/3 said they’re just as desirable as other candidates. The real question is does your recruiting execution match these answers? Clearly many of you are saying your organizations value older workers. The real question at hand is if those desires show up in your recruiting results. Take a look at your new hire class for the last 12 months. Is the balance of older workers reflective of the answers you gave in the poll? If not and they differ significantly, it’s time to explore if you have inherent biases in your recruiting processes. At best, you’re missing out on a great source of talent – which you already said you value. At worst, your organization is susceptible to age discrimination lawsuits. Diverse hiring practices make your organization stronger. Make sure your execution of recruiting matches your beliefs. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How do most leaders in your organization view the world?

May 20, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How do most leaders in your organization view the world? An abundance mindset: There’s plenty of rewards to go around, so focus on making the pie bigger: 54% A scarcity mindset: There’s only so much to go around, so you should fight for a bigger share of the pie: 46% There’s plenty for everyone. While an abundance mindset is more prevalent, it’s not by much. For the 46% of you living in a scarcity mindset, recognize the anxiety it causes and the innovation it stifles. Only seeing what is available today prevents creativity, partnerships, and expanded opportunities. Challenge yourself to ask how you can make the pie bigger for yourself. Are there organizations you can partner with to get into new markets, products, or services? Are there new customers you can serve? Are there new projects you can propose internally that could create promotion opportunities for people? Stop limiting yourself to what is going on today. Every time you hear someone propose a limit, see if you can think of ways to expand that boundary. You won’t be able to do it for everything but you may surprise yourself with how big you can make the pie! Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How would you characterize your organization when it comes to strategy execution?

May 13, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How would you characterize your organization when it comes to strategy execution? We stay diligently focused on our strategy and avoid distractions: 22% We generally follow our strategy but occasionally chase distractions: 45% We mostly focus on distractions but still spend some effort on the core strategy: 23% We chase every shiny new distraction that comes along: 10% Don’t chase shiny objects. The core of strategy is saying “no” and staying focused on the path to your vision. While occasional opportunities might come along, your task is to differentiate between those that get you closer to achieving your vision and those that will lead you astray from your chosen path. 1/3 of you clearly have trouble avoiding the distractions. If that’s the case, push your organization to more clearly articulate its mission and vision. With those in hand it’s much easier to make the case for not pursuing a distraction because you can show how the distraction runs counter to the organization’s goals. Keep the team focused on the most meaningful initiatives if you want to increase your odds of successfully achieving your vision. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Have you ever been through a merger/acquisition process during your career?

May 6, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Have you ever been through a merger/acquisition process during your career? Yes, I’ve had my company be acquired by another: 45% Yes, I’ve been at a company that acquired another one: 35% No, I’ve never been involved in one of those situations: 19% Merger challenges. 80% of you have been involved in mergers either as the buyer or the bought. They’re extremely challenging and stressful situations. One of the most challenging aspects of any merger is managing the culture combination. Processes, technology, products, operations, financials… those are all relatively straightforward to sort out. The big leadership challenge is creating one new culture from the two that came together. Failure to do so creates great risk for the organization and can definitely adversely affect the merger’s outcome. As a leader, stay focused on cultural issues. Pay attention to brewing culture conflicts and get in front of them. Define the culture you want to build and find every opportunity you can to reinforce it. Pointing out actions that are or are not consistent with the desired culture helps people understand what you’re building toward. Your team can handle the operating details – they need you focused on combining two cultures into one successful one. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Who has had the greatest impact on your leadership development over the years?

April 29, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Who has had the greatest impact on your leadership development over the years? A boss I’ve worked for: 64% A peer: 7% A member of my team: 5% A family member: 8% A leadership coach/expert/speaker/author: 12% A business personality (CEO, well-known executive): 4% Bosses by far. The vast majority of you have been most impacted by a boss you’ve worked for in terms of developing your leadership skills. Let’s flip that around – if you’re a manager, what are YOU doing to develop your people? Clearly bosses have a disproportionate impact on team leadership skills development. Are you spending enough time on it? Are you creating development opportunities for team members? Are you investing in their skills through training, resources, and most importantly, giving them your time and attention? A leader’s job is to create the next generation of leaders. Make sure when your team members answer a poll like this in their future that they’re thinking of you and selecting their boss as having had the greatest impact on their leadership development. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How effective are the leaders in your organization at coaching their team members?

April 22, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How effective are the leaders in your organization at coaching their team members? Extremely — They’re great coaches. 1.6% Very — They do a solid job of coaching. 11.9% Somewhat — Their coaching skills could use some improvement. 36% Not very — They rarely coach and when they do, they’re not effective. 30% Not at all — They have no idea what coaching is. 20.4% Development requires coaching. It’s pretty scary to see 86% of you responding that your leaders need better coaching skills and that 50% are pretty bad at it. A leaders’ job is to build the next generation of leaders. If you can’t coach your people, it’s pretty hard to help them develop their skills. Take a hard look at your own coaching skills and those of the leaders working for you. Do you need to improve those skills? What are you doing about it? When are you going to do it? Hold yourself accountable to improving in this arena. Read a book. Take a course. Find a mentor who is a great coach and ask them to help you build your coaching skills. The sooner you start building your coaching skills, the sooner your people will get the leadership and development they need from you. You owe it to them to improve your abilities in this arena. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How Radical Relationships Can Transform Your Team

April 20, 2021 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Radical relationships involve conversations that are raw, real, authentic, and transparent. And they can supercharge both your workers and your organization. Today’s post is by Shawn Nason, author of KISS YOUR DRAGONS: Radical Relationships, Bold Heartsets & Changing The World (CLICK HERE to get your copy). A few years back, my phone rang at 6 a.m. It was my dear friend and colleague Robin Glasco, calling to tell me she had decided to quit her job at a big health insurance company. “It’s about &!@%ing time,” I said.

How much has your organization’s strategy shifted in the last 12 months?

April 15, 2021 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How much has your organization’s strategy shifted in the last 12 months? Significantly: We’re going in a brand new direction. 20.8% Somewhat: We’ve got a few major shifts but are staying on course. 34.4% Not very: We’re generally headed in the same direction with a couple of adjustments. 36.2% Not at all: We’re full speed ahead on our current path. 8.6% Balancing consistency with agility. Unless there are large shifts in the market or in your organization, your strategy should remain consistent (assuming it’s working). Most of you report that you’re staying the course. For those who are undergoing major shifts, be sure you understand what is driving those changes. Change for the sake of change can doom a good strategy. If you’re not changing at all, take a moment to assess the market around you to ensure you’re not missing any big trends or risks that could affect your business down the road. Shifting during times of calm is much easier to do than when you’ve been caught unaware by a big change in the market. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

The Medium Was the Message, And It Still Is

April 12, 2021 /1 Comment/in Books, Business Toolkit, Communications, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

  What you say, how you say it, and the medium you choose to communicate your message matter as much today as they did last century Today’s post is by Luke Sheppard, Founder and Principle of Sheppard & Company, and author of Driving Great Results (CLICK HERE to get your copy). In 1964, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the medium is the message” in his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. He made this comment at a time when text messaging, FaceTime, and Zoom calls were but fragments of imagination in the pages of a Robert Heinlein novel. There were far fewer communication mediums in the 1960s than today, though McLuhan’s phrase still has merit. What you say, how you say it, and the medium you choose to communicate your message matter as much today as they did in the middle of the last century. In this post are the three factors you need to consider when selecting a medium for your message if you want to have the desired impact.

What is your greatest fear when giving team members a task they’ve not done before?

April 8, 2021 /1 Comment/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: What is your greatest fear when giving team members a task they’ve not done before? They’ll mess it up and I’ll have to fix it.  20.4% They’ll need too much of my time and guidance. 21.3% They’ll get frustrated and morale will drop. 12.2% They’ll be wildly successful and outshine me. 3.8% I am fearless. This is how they learn. 42.2% Fear versus no fear. You folks are pretty evenly split as to whether you’re afraid of your team members making mistakes and either having to fix them or invest too much time in helping them versus having no fear at all. For the former group, this is how your people learn. Start with giving less risky projects and tasks. Build extra time into timelines to allow for slower work. Focus on the fact that you’re building their skills instead of focusing too much on task perfection. For those of you with no fear, ask if you’re pushing your team members enough. Maybe the reason you’re not afraid is you’re not stretching them enough and actually taking a risk on their development. To find out if that’s the case, ask them what they’re prepared to take on. If their request makes you a little uneasy, then you know you’re operating in growth territory. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

This Was My Biggest Step Toward Building a $30 Million Business

April 5, 2021 /4 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Business Toolkit, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

Why core values are a necessary ingredient for success in your business or career, and the steps you can take right now discover your personal core values. Today’s post is by Robert Glazer, Founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners and author of Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others (CLICK HERE to get your copy). One of the greatest frustrations in life is the realization that we have spent, or are currently spending, significant time and energy doing something that doesn’t fulfill us. How we respond to this feeling can become the turning point for our entire career. Maybe you have worked in a job that made you feel bored, or even demoralized. Maybe you’ve been in a professional environment dictated by principles and standards that just felt wrong to you, even if you couldn’t articulate why. You may have even found yourself in a leadership role where you were unable to be yourself and struggled to hold your team accountable as a result. I’ve experienced all of this in my own career. In 2005, I was working at a startup where the company’s leadership left people demotivated. I realized I could never be happy in that type of environment and made the choice to

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