Mike Figliuolo – Page 34 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

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Entries by Mike Figliuolo

Your Brain on Work: How Stress Hijacks Your Health and Happiness

July 19, 2016 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Communications, Entrepreneur, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Stress is part of our everyday lives. We can either control it or let it control us. The difference between those two situations is how we manage our “alarm” and our reactions to the daily stressors we face. Today’s post is by Jon Wortmann, thoughtLEADERS instructor and author of Hijacked by Your Brain. As the global head of sales hit the stage, he cracked. He looked out at the audience of colleagues and saw nothing but failure in his people. All his brain could focus on was their missed opportunities, laziness, and a collective bad year. Without thinking he said, “You are simply the worst team I have every worked with.” For more than fifteen minutes he continued ranting before transitioning into an update of the quarter’s results. No one stopped him. When the CEO assessed the damage after the meeting, he fired his sales chief. At the exit interview, the head of sales didn’t even realize he had done something wrong. I wish it weren’t, but this is a true story. When stress hijacks your brain, we get stuck on the short loop. The alarm, the tiny region called the amygdala which keeps us alert and out of danger, can misfire after exposure to too much stress. You lead. You manage. You innovate. You solve people problems. You save the day. To say you are exposed to stress is like saying London or Seattle get some rain. Some days, you crash. Other days, your people call you a grumpy bear. Occasionally, after months of deadlines, events, and emergencies you melt down. Hopefully we don’t melt down on stage or in front of our teams, but it happens and we are not, in fact, crazy when we do. The answer to stress at work is not actually as complicated as […]

Using Speed, Agility and Innovation to Beat Your Competition

July 18, 2016 /0 Comments/in Books, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Innovation, Leadership, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Innovation, speed, and agility can be a winning combination if they’re used appropriately. Those elements must be tied closely to your strategy if you really want to win. Today’s post is by Jeffrey Phillips and Alex Verjovsky, authors of OUTMANEUVER: OutThink, don’t OutSpend (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Every executive knows speed is important. Meg Whitman at Hewlett-Packard declared recently that “the future belongs to the fast.” But is speed enough? If you can simply accelerate the current activities, products and strategies that your business implements, will that help you win in the future? Or what about being more “agile.” Agile was originally a software technique, meant to shorten software development times and make the development team more accountable to customer needs. From there, everyone is adopting the concept of “agile.” There’s agile marketing, introduced by thought leaders at CMG. Can agile help you win more? Of course. Is it, by itself, enough? Probably not. Or, think about innovation. There’s probably no other topic that has the same level of emphasis across industries and geographies. Everyone knows innovation is important. But again, if you can innovate successfully, is that enough? Do any of these factors, by themselves, help your company win? We believe that each of these factors is important, but left to themselves, implemented in a discrete fashion, without integration or coordination they won’t make a significant difference. But if you could create a framework in which each of these activities were a vital component leading to a completely new way to compete, then you’d see a significant impact on your revenues, profits and market share. Maneuver Strategy

How well do you negotiate?

July 14, 2016 /2 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: How well do you negotiate? – Very well — I always have negotiating success: 12% – Well — I come out ahead in most negotiations: 65% – Not well — I come up short in most negotiations: 20% – Not at all — I almost always fare poorly in negotiations: 3% Are you doing as well as you can? When 77% of people say they come out ahead in negotiations, that math doesn’t add up. Are you really getting everything you can? Or is it that your negotiating partner is getting the best of you but doing a good job of maintaining your relationship? Learning techniques like anchoring and approaches to managing the relationship after the deal are key determinants of your negotiating success. Always challenge yourself on the notion of whether you’re doing as well as you could – you could be leaving value on the table. 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!

Solving Big Problems by Solving Little Problems

July 13, 2016 /1 Comment/in Business Toolkit, Entrepreneur, Innovation, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Big problems are nothing more than a collection of little problems. The faster you can break those big problems down into solvable component problems, the faster you can generate ideas that will resolve your biggest issues. One of the first steps in any good critical thinking process is taking a big problem and breaking it down into smaller ones that you can actually solve. The time you invest thinking through what the components of the problem are is going to pay dividends on the back end when you look at the possible solutions. You’ll have a better sense for what recommendations and solutions to pursue, and how those solutions help you solve the bigger problem. Let me illustrate. Let’s imagine we have a problem where our profits are down. That’s a huge issue to solve. We can’t solve that in and of itself. We have to look at smaller components of it. If we have a profit problem, we have two components: either our revenues are down, or our costs are up, or some combination of the two. But those are still very big problems to try to solve. Let’s break down revenues, and what could be causing our revenue shortfall. Revenue issues are caused by either volumes being down or realized prices being down. On volumes, that’s still a big issue. We may have a smaller issue of current customers are buying less, or we’re selling less to prospective customers. Now on the cost side, the reason that costs could be up are either prices are up, or we’re buying more stuff. If prices are up in terms of the stuff we’re buying, that could be a function of base prices are up, or we’re getting less of a discount. Let’s look at the issues we can now try […]

3 Ways to Elevate Women in Your Organization and Win in the Market

July 11, 2016 /0 Comments/in Books, Career, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Organizations that advance women in the ranks of leadership outperform their competition. Here are three ways to advance women in your organization and win in the marketplace. Today’s post is from Dr. Joelle Jay, author of The New Advantage (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Fortune 500 companies are spending $8 billion per year on diversity initiatives, many of which are aimed at advancing women. Companies with more women in leadership positions are shown to perform the best. Studies indicate that these companies are: More profitable (18-69%) More competitive (25%) More effective because they demographically reflect the market (83%). Yet with the percentage of women leading Fortune 500 companies stagnating at 15%, it clearly is not working. The question of why women do not advance at a faster rate is complex and requires change at many levels. One way that has been shown to be effective for advancing women is to put the power for change in the hands of women themselves. If women want to accelerate their careers, they have to lead themselves. This approach requires personal leadership. Women need to take ownership and initiative to make things happen for themselves that their companies have so far been unable to achieve for all of the women. Examples of women whom take ownership and initiative are:

How well does your organization understand and use data?

July 7, 2016 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: How well does your organization understand and use data? – Very — we are effective at generating data-based insights: 29% – Kind of — we generate insights but it takes some effort: 41% – Not very — we tend to get sucked into analysis paralysis: 19% – Not at all — we’re overwhelmed by data without insights: 11% Data versus Information. There’s no shortage of data out there but insights are at a premium. If you want to wade through that sea of data more quickly and effectively, take a hypothesis-driven approach. Before you crunch numbers, identify what it is you’re trying to prove or disprove. Doing so will help you focus your analytical efforts and sidestep distractions. Beware of confirmation bias – only looking at data that confirm your hypothesis – because it can cause you to miss the real insight. You’ll be more efficient and effective if you take a hypothesis-driven approach to data versus blind number crunching. 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 to Deal with Crazy Policies and Crazy People

July 6, 2016 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Communications, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

We deal with a lot of craziness in the workplace ranging from crazy policies to crazy people. The better you’re equipped to handle those situations before they happen, the more successfully you’ll be able to navigate them. Today’s post is by Paul Smith, thoughtLEADERS instructor and bestselling author of Lead With a Story. I’d like to share an easy way to learn some new leadership skills. Below are 5 great lessons in easy-to-digest 10-minute podcasts you can listen to at your convenience. These podcasts are based on interviews with 100 executives and leaders at dozens of companies around the world. Each episode brings you an important leadership lesson through a single compelling story. These next episodes will help you avoid the unintended consequences of senseless corporate policy, describe what you do in a more interesting way, address the serious issue of workplace diversity, and deal with the irrational and impossible people you have to work with. Monkeying around with corporate policy A lesson in how corporate policy really works, and how to make it work for you, from a bunch of monkeys. A better answer to the question, “So, what do you do?” Author and consultant Lori Silverman offers advice to help anyone give a non-boring answer to the anxiety producing question, “So, what do you do?” When a suicide bomber shows up in a Women’s Studies class

How to Deal with Brilliant Jerks

July 5, 2016 /2 Comments/in Books, Career, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Brilliant jerks are great to have around because they’re brilliant but they’re equally painful to have because they’re jerks. As a leader, the way you treat these brilliant jerks tells your organization a lot about what you value… and what you don’t. Today’s post is by Chris Laping, author of People Before Things: Change Isn’t an End-User Problem (CLICK HERE to get your copy). “We don’t devote enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.” —Bill Waterson I came across a meme this week that really got my attention. Admittedly, I usually ignore stuff like this, but I opened up LinkedIn and there it was—staring me in the face and practically begging me to read it. Perhaps you’ve seen it, too. It’s a photo of Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, with the quote, “Do not tolerate brilliant jerks. The cost is too high.” Before I go much further, I don’t personally know Reed nor have I ever worked at Netflix. You see, this is the reason I don’t usually care about memes—it’s hard to confirm they’re true. As I researched the quote on Google, I realized there was quite a negative stir in the marketplace regarding Reed’s term. The truth is, I don’t care. And I don’t care if I’m late to the party on this conversation. I love the phrase, and I think it’s 100% true. It was 2006, and I was new to consulting. The company I worked for attracted a high-tech startup as a client. My role as a Principal was to manage delivery, keep our customer happy, and provide leadership to the project team. The client’s chief executive, TJ, was my point-of-contact, and I was to collaborate with him on an important initiative. Talk about a brilliant jerk! From the day we walked into his […]

How rigorous is your strategic planning process?

June 30, 2016 /0 Comments/in Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: How rigorous is your strategic planning process? – Very — We do a great job of annual strategic planning: 25% – Kind of — We usually update last year’s strategic plan: 42% – Not very — We only do it if there’s been a major market change: 15% – What’s strategic planning?:18% You Can’t Get There from Here. How can you arrive at a destination if you don’t know where that destination is? A strategic plan is your roadmap that lays out the destination and the path to get there. It drives your priorities, what you do, and what you don’t do. The biggest reason strategic plans aren’t used is because people make them too complicated. Find a simplified strategic planning process and be rigorous about conducting that exercise every year. It’s well worth the time and energy and it’s never too late to pick up the good habit of doing so. 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!

Leadership, Listening, and Coffee

June 29, 2016 /1 Comment/in Books, Communications, Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Learning about leadership can be as easy as plugging in your earphones and sipping your coffee. Listen and learn some new perspectives on leadership, training, authenticity, and attracting talent. I’m fortunate to run with an awesome crowd of interesting, entertaining leaders. Every once in a while I’m afforded the opportunity to speak live with them and record our discussions for public consumption. The Leadership Podcast I’ve had two great opportunities like that in the last few weeks. The first was a discussion with Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos of The Leadership Podcast. We discussed the Leadership Maxims approach, recruiting and retaining great talent, and what authenticity really means. Grab your coffee and give it a listen. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with these guys and we touched on some really powerful leadership topics. I hope you enjoyed our conversation. Now go grab another cup of coffee (or in my case, green tea since my cardiologist said I had to cut out caffeine… he’s a meanie but I’m still alive…). One more podcast to go.

Memory and the Power of Decision-Making

June 27, 2016 /0 Comments/in Books, Communications, Guest Blogger, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

The way to stand out and get people to take action is to be memorable. People act on what they remember. Differentiating your business is the key to being remembered. Today’s post is from Carmen Simon, author of Impossible to Ignore (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Would you tour a museum naked? You may consider it if you visit the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, Australia. MONA is an extremely innovative museum, increasing its financial viability each year and disturbing many conventions in the art world. While typical museums are above ground, this one is underground. While typical museums are easy to access, this one is on an isolated island, in a working-class district. You don’t access MONA by ascending massive staircases or passing between marble columns. You enter it via a tennis court. Art exhibits conventionally have labels. MONA has none. There are no signs or directions, no logical route that visitors must take, and nothing is displayed across a timeline. The museum is a theater of curiosities, from a sculpture of a grossly fattened red Porsche, to rotting cow carcasses, to a library with blank books. Dark walls dominate with the intent to undermine the standard white gallery. An Australian magazine called MONA “a mash up between the lost city of Petra and a late night out in Berlin.” The museum’s daring themes of sex and death are in blunt contrast to the people of Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, who are modest and courteous. For an extra thrill, you can join the “naturist” tour in the buff after 9 p.m. The guards and guides will also be naked. At some point, we all create something and hope that other people will act on it: read it, listen to it, like it, buy it, or […]

Have you ever had to deal with someone stealing credit for your work?

June 23, 2016 /1 Comment/in Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: Have you ever had to deal with someone stealing credit for your work? – Yes — someone has publicly taken credit for my work: 85% – No — I’ve never had to deal with a credit thief: 15% Confronting a Credit Thief. There are few things more frustrating than someone stealing credit for your work. Confronting that situation is dicey and uncomfortable. But you should absolutely say something. Start by assuming positive intent and a misunderstanding. If that doesn’t resolve things to your satisfaction, consider escalation approaches that are appropriate to the situation. Hopefully you can resolve the issue this time and prevent it from happening again in the future. 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!