Stock Soars: 2009 was Great for Female CEOs' Companies

"This may go down as the best year yet for female CEOs of large companies, but those corporate chiefs want to make it clear their success has nothing to do with chromosomes. 'Good leadership is about the person and has little to do with gender,' says Carol Meyrowitz, 55, CEO of retailer TJX Cos. (TJX), a stock that soared 79% in 2009. 'Good leadership and good performance (are) not about any one thing, but a host of factors and circumstances.'"

Best and Worst CEO Buzz of 2009

"Fortune commissioned a statistical analysis of blogosphere chatter to discover which chiefs of Fortune 500 companies garnered the most buzz this year, good and bad."

Oral Roberts Remembered as Charismatic Leader

"For decades, Oral Roberts deftly used television to become one of the nation's most recognized and influential preachers. On Monday, that same medium was used to broadcast the memorial service for the godfather of TV evangelism to tens of millions of homes across the world."

10 Things Not to Say When Firing an Employee

"Here are 10 things you should never say when terminating an employee."

Seven Personality Traits of Effective Leaders

"I've found that some of the most effective leaders share common traits. That is not to suggest that they are personality clones. They do, however, have some things in common."

The Post-Imperial Presidency

"This is an interesting article on how Obama is leading in the area of foreign policy."

Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders

"It has been reported that a full 40% of executives describe themselves as introverts, including. . .Bill Gates, the über-investors Warren Buffett and Charles Schwab, Avon's chief executive, Andrea Jung, and the late publishing giant Katharine Graham."

When the CEO Job Is Split in Two

"Dividing the post often leads to grief. But Aéropostale's new bosses know how to work together."

Discover Your Leadership Blind Spots

"Too often, leaders demonstrate behavior that sabotages their success and undermines both their team and their organization. To succeed as a manager, you need to learn how to recognize your blind spots and overcome them."

19 Often Overlooked Questions to Propel Employee Conversations

"Smart leaders ask interesting questions. Questions often ignored by many; asked by a few. Here are a handful of questions to help you bridge the gap from cubicle to community."

Bill Hybels - "Five Things Leaders Do"

"Test your leadership against Bill Hybel's checklist."

Time's Person of the Year 2009: Ben Bernanke

"The story of the year was a weak economy that could have been much, much weaker. How the mild-mannered man who runs the Federal Reserve prevented an economic catastrophe."

TIME's Person of the Year 1927 - 2009

"TIME's Person of the Year is bestowed by the editors on the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year. See who made the grade over TIME's first eight decades."

Time's 25 Most Significant People of 2009

Time's 25 Most Significant People of 2009

Americans' View of Clergy's Ethics Hit 3-Decade Low

"Americans' views of the 'honesty and ethics' of clergy have hit a 32-year low, with just half rating their moral caliber as high or very high, according to Gallup's annual Honesty and Ethics Ratings of Professions survey."

Gallup Poll: Congress Members Lower than Car Salesmen

"Being a member of Congress rates as the least ethical and honest professions – faring worse than car salesmen by 4 percent – according to a new Gallup poll out Wednesday."

Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders

"It has been reported that a full 40% of executives describe themselves as introverts, including. . .Bill Gates, the über-investors Warren Buffett and Charles Schwab, Avon's chief executive, Andrea Jung, and the late publishing giant Katharine Graham."

Survey: U.S. CEOs' Economic View Brightens

"U.S. chief executives' outlook on the economy improved in the fourth quarter, although most still are not ready to step up hiring or increase capital spending, according to a Business Roundtable survey released on Tuesday."

Quarter of Workforce Could Become Temps as Contract Work Grows

"An encouraging jobs report Friday underscored the growing prominence of temporary workers who some experts predict could constitute up to a quarter of the workforce in a few years."

Leadership Humor

A young executive was leaving the office late one evening when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document here, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young executive.

He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. "I just need one copy."

The Business of Higher Education

"The Business of Higher Education (Praeger), a new three-part collection of essays edited by John C. Knapp and David J. Siegel, presents a wide range of perspectives on the complex impact of business models on higher education. The authors -- respectively, the Mann Family Professor of Ethics and Leadership at Samford University, and an associate professor of educational leadership at East Carolina University -- are neither pro- nor anti-business; they describe themselves, instead, as 'ambivalent, conflicted, and (perhaps more positively) open to the merits of strong arguments.' Those they (and readers) get, from such shrinking violets as E. Gordon Gee, Marc Bousquet and Cary Nelson. The authors answered some questions about their series via e-mail."

Study: Five Secrets of Innovation

"Professors from Harvard Business School, Insead and Brigham Young University have just completed a six-year study of more than 3,000 executives and 500 innovative entrepreneurs, that included interviews with high-profile entrepreneurs including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers."

Fortune: World's Best Companies for Developing Leaders

"The most successful businesses know that developing talent is their top priority. Fortune ranks the companies that do it best."

Hiring Rivals' Workers Can Be An Advantage

"Losing key employees can hurt an organization or business despite a widespread notion no one is irreplaceable, U.S. researchers say."

President Obama on Making Difficult Decisions

Interview with President Obama where he discusses making difficult decisions.

How to Build Great Leaders

"To help prepare promising leaders for the future, top companies are forcing their employees to take on new (global) risks."

Byrd Becomes Longest-Serving Member of Congress

"West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd has been around so long that nearly all lawmakers in Congress can remember reasons they love him - and many can recall how they once bitterly opposed him. The veteran Democrat on Wednesday became the longest-serving member of Congress in history, as he logged day No. 20,774, surpassing the record of Arizona Democrat Carl Hayden, who served in the House of Representatives and the Senate from 1912 to 1969."

Forty Business Leaders Under Forty

Meet these young innovators, value creators, and agents of change.

Turnaround President Makes the Most of His College’s Small Size

"But in higher education, Mr. Smith is known as a turnaround artist, a man with the talent and disposition to take a failing college and transform it into a winner. Here, at 74 years old, taking no salary, he is trying to save a tiny, debt-ridden college in one of the poorest states in the country. His strategy is so simple and earnest, it may sound naïve to the jaded."

Bishops in Fact If Not in Name

Bitel "compares two women who lived in vastly different societies and who acted outside conventional expectations for their gender. Both Genovefa (ca. 420-509) and Brigit (ca. 452-524) were builders of the new Christian communities in their respective regions—Genovefa in Gaul and Brigit in Ireland."

More U.S. Job Hunters Look for Work in Other Countries

"Fifty-four percent of executives said they'd be likely or highly likely to accept a foreign post, according to a survey of 114 executives Friday by talent management company Korn/Ferry. Just 37% of those surveyed in 2005 said they'd go abroad."

Forbes List: The World's Most Powerful People

"In compiling our first ranking of the World's Most Powerful People, we wrestled with these questions--and many more--before deciding to define power by four dimensions."

The 10 Best College Presidents

This slideshow discusses the ten best college presidents. It is from Time Magazine.

Misconceptions Stymie Women's Careers: Study

"Women's careers are being stymied by more than a glass ceiling. Bosses believe women have more family-work conflict, which is a misconception that is holding them back, according to new research."

What Makes a Good Boss?

What makes a good boss? "To find out, we asked employees about the best bosses they've had and what characteristics they hope to see in the people for whom they work."

Mandela Endures as South Africa’s Ideal

"Yet even as Mr. Mandela fades from view, he retains a vital place in the public consciousness here. To many, he is still the ideal of a leader — warm, magnanimous, willing to own up to his failings — against which his political successors are measured and often found wanting. He is the founding father whose values continue to shape the nation."

America's Best Leaders 2009

View the slideshow and the full articles on each leader.

Billy Graham's America

"Grant Wacker, professor of Christian History at Duke University and a member of the Christian History advisory board, is working on a cultural biography of Graham, titled Billy Graham's America, to be published by Harvard University Press in 2011. He is giving us an advance peek at his research in the following essay—which is a condensed version of an article by the same title published in Church History, September 2009."

237 Millionaires in Congress

"According to a report released this week by the Center for Responsive Politics, there are 237 millionaires serving in Congress, according to 2008 figures."

CEO of the Decade: Steve Jobs

"How's this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley."

U.S. Working Women See Appearance as Key: Survey

"Nearly all U.S. working women believe that their professional appearance is crucial to success at work, and one in five female executives say they have withheld a promotion or a raise due to the way an employee dresses, according to a survey released on Tuesday."

Books Tackle Scarcity of U.S. Women in Leadership

"Women make up half the U.S. work force these days, yet they remain scarce in the ranks of top business leadership." Two recent books address this topic.

Gentleman of Justice

"From the oppressed side of apartheid, Albert Lutuli (1898—1967) became the first African to receive a Nobel Prize for Peace."

The Making of a Toxic Boss

"Power and incompetence are a bad combination. Behold the Mr. Dithers Syndrome."

Special Report: Women and Leadership

This site has a number of helpful articles related to female leadership.

Advice for the New Administrator

"What follows then are my recommendations both philosophical and practical -- to those who are embarking on a new academic leadership position, ranging from dean to president." This is written by Susan Resneck Pierce, president emerita of the University of Puget Sound.

Boards and Presidents -- After the Hire

Susan Resneck Pierce is president emerita of the University of Puget Sound. She argues that problems can be avoided, after a new presidential hire, if "the trustees and president come to an immediate understanding of how they would work together, how and what they would communicate and even more specifically who would be responsible for what."

Interview With Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard

Interview with Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard.

Bad Boss Can Increase Employee Heart Risk

"The longer a person has a 'poor' manager, the higher his or her risk of suffering a heart attack within a 10-year period, a researcher in Sweden found."

23 College Presidents Make More Than $1 Million

"Presidents of 23 private, non-profit colleges and universities each earned more than $1 million in total compensation in 2007-08, and Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., tops the list at nearly $1.6 million, says a report published today in the Chronicle of Higher Education."

Female CEOs' Pay Fell More Than Men's: Survey

"Female chief executives earned just 58 percent of what their male counterparts did in 2008, and their compensation packages were slashed three times as much as their male peers, according to a survey released on Monday."

The Prize for Best African Leader Goes to ... No One

"When Sudanese-born billionaire Mo Ibrahim announced an annual $5 million prize to reward Africa's best leaders, he warned that there would be years when 'we wouldn't award the prize.' Just three years on, and despite considering "some credible candidates," the prize committee said on Monday that no prize would be awarded in 2009.

Obama's Nobel Prize Win Unique among Presidents

"In winning the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama joins an elite group of U.S. presidents. He is the fourth to win the prize, the third to win it while in office and the first to receive it during his first year in office. Unlike his predecessors, Obama was selected not for substantive accomplishments, but for his 'vision' and inspiring 'hope' at the beginning of his presidency."

CEOs Say: How To Give A Great Presentation

"CEOs say it's important to be well prepared. But they caution that too much rehearsing can result in a wooden delivery at the podium. The most important part of preparation: making sure you're ready for questions and comments from left field. Allow your presentation to flow from the set outline. The audience will feel engaged, and you all may even have a little fun."

Management Ideas

Growth Share Matrix

The Experience Curve

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Cross-Selling

Culture

Top Ten Colorful First Spouses (Slideshow)

This is an amusing slideshow, but it also indicates some of the impact (for better or worse) first spouses often have.

Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women 2009

Slideshow of the 50 most powerful women. 13 are CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies.

Fortune: 10 Most Powerful Women in Washington

Slideshow ranking the most powerful women in Washington. Michelle Obama is not included.

How to Be a Better Listener

"Here are several tips that will not only help you listen better, but look like you are listening."

25 Highest Paid Women, 25 Highest Paid Men

25 Highest Paid Women http://tinyurl.com/kr5vnd and 25
Highest Paid Men http://tinyurl.com/mk2yfr

Top US Political Dynasties

"Kennedys, Rockefellers, and Harrisons sit at the top, while newer Bushes rank 6th" among political dynasties.

Book Excerpt: 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis

"In an edited excerpt from his new book, 7 Lessson for Leading in Crisis, Bill George writes about the importance of leaders acknowledging reality--and their own role in creating a situation."

Management Practices That Spell Doom

Please see a slide show featuring 13 universally used, but ultimately ineffective, management practices—and prescriptions for how to change them.

Behind Every Great Despot is a Despot Housewife (Slideshow)

This slides are funny!

Study Shows U.S. Bank CEO Pay Dwarfs Rest of World

"The compensation of the CEOs of the largest U.S. banks towers above what's paid to banking chiefs in other parts of the world, according to a Reuters analysis of pay at the 18 biggest banks by market value."

Building Corporate Culture

"All companies have a corporate culture. Some cultures are good; others are bad. Some are productive, some destructive. . ."

Warren Bennis: Acting the Part of a Leader

"Like great actors, great leaders create and sell an alternative vision of the world, a better one in which we are an essential part. . ."

Narcissism Can Make Politicians Leaders and Cheaters

"Those who watch the headlines or the new drama The Good Wife, about a politician caught up in a sex scandal, will recognize what social scientists have already observed: that politicians are a different breed. They say a thread of narcissism makes these political animals feel invincible and willing to take risks."

The Value of Suffering

"Loss Creates Leaders. I made that the title of the first chapter in my new book because I believe it's the most important lesson for anyone who aspires to leadership in business or elsewhere in life. It is the foundation upon which all else is built. . ."

Leadership: How to Ask the Right Questions

Article and Slideshow: 20 Questions for Leaders to Ask

What Really Kills Great Companies: Inertia

"Review the history of the average organization and you’ll discover long periods of incremental fiddling punctuated by occasional bouts of frantic, crisis-driven change. The dynamic is not unlike that of arteriosclerosis: after years of relative inactivity, the slow accretion of arterial plaque is suddenly revealed by the business equivalent of a myocardial infarction. The only option at that juncture is a quadruple bypass: excise the leadership team, slash head count, dump 'non-core' assets and overhaul the balance sheet. . ."

The CEO Educator

"New York City education chief Joel Klein talks about improving inner-city schools, competing globally, and how Jack Welch helps him groom his leadership team."

A Few Other Nobel Peace Prize Candidates

Some of the other candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize have shown selfless or courageous leadership.

Determine Your Ministry Age

"Do your assumptions about leadership reflect the values of your generation?"

Army Agrees Kansas Priest Worthy of Medal of Honor

"As his fellow prisoners of war returned home from the Korean War, they shared stories of self-sacrifice about Rev. Emil Kapaun, the humble priest from Kansas. The prisoners of the 8th Cavalry Regiment spoke of how Kapaun, an Army chaplain, continued to look after his men even though he was wounded and sick himself. Risking his own life, Kapaun would sneak out after dark to scrounge food for those too weak to eat, fashion makeshift containers to collect water and wash their soiled clothes. Kapaun died at the camp hospital seven months after he was first taken captive by the Chinese in 1950. More than a half-century later, the Army's top civilian leader has recommended that Kapaun, who is also a candidate for sainthood, receive the Medal of Honor."

Biden Redefines Role of Vice President

"Joe Biden's vice presidency is shaping up as a mix of his two Democratic predecessors, two of the most influential vice presidents after Dick Cheney."

Workers Think Bosses are Dishonest, Survey Says

"A majority of U.S. workers do not think their bosses are honest, said a survey released on Tuesday, and one in four would fire their boss if they could."

Study Shows U.S. Bank CEO Pay Dwarfs Rest of World

"Jiang, chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, made just $234,700 in 2008. That's less than 2 percent of the $19.6 million awarded to Jamie Dimon, chief executive of the world's fourth-largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co. The contrast illustrates the massive differences in pay among the CEOs of the world's top banks. The compensation of the CEOs of the largest U.S. banks towers above what's paid to banking chiefs in other parts of the world, according to a Reuters analysis of pay at the 18 biggest banks by market value."

Brain Scans 'Provide Clue to Leadership Skills'

"A U.S. professor claims he has identified the parts of the brain that help to make someone a good leader. Pierre Balthazard, an associate professor at the Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, also says he can use neuroscientific techniques to help people improve the skills that play a part in leadership. Balthazard uses electroencephalography (EEG) to produce a "brain map" of his subjects. By attaching electrodes to their heads, he says he can measure electrical activity generated by neurons in their brain."

Managers Find it Hard to Make Demands

"As a manager, you're expected to make demands of other people. So why do many find it so hard? Ron Ashkenas, managing partner at Robert H. Schaffer & Associates in Stamford, Conn., and author of the upcoming book 'Simply Effective: How to Cut Through Complexity in Your Organization and Get Things Done,' says it stems from an innate desire to be liked. . ."

A Declaration of Inconclusiveness

Interesting article about how DNA evidence is inconclusive as to whether Thomas Jefferson fathered any children of Sally Hemmings.

Twenty Tips for CEOs

This is a slideshow from Businessweek: Twenty Tips for CEOs

50% of Female Supervisors Experience Sexual Harassment

"Fifty percent of women supervisors, but one-third of women who do not supervise others, reported workplace sexual harassment, U.S. researchers said."

Peter Guber on Sharing Stories, not Just Information, to Communicate Effectively

Knowledge Wharton Article - Peter Guber on Sharing Stories, not Just Information, to Communicate Effectively

The Mindset of a Problem-Finder

Knowledge Wharton Article - The Mindset of a Problem-Finder

Forbes List - 100 Most Powerful Women

Forbes List - 100 Most Powerful Women

The Secret Source of Unlimited Leaders

Neil Cole Article - The Secret Source of Unlimited Leaders

10 Ways to be a Better Thinker

CNN Article - 10 Ways to be a Better Thinker

Ten Ways to Judge a President

Ten Ways to Judge a President article from Knowledge Wharton.

World Leaders - An Online Directory

"The CIA publishes and updates the online directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments regularly. The directory is intended to be used primarily as a reference aid and includes as many governments of the world as is considered practical, some of them not officially recognized by the United States." (Refdesk.com)

USA Today: Presidential Approval Tracker

"The Gallup organization first started asking Americans how they approved of the job the president was doing in the 1940s. See how each president since then has fared in the approval poll, look at some news events that influenced public opinion and compare how approval ratings evolved for each president." The Presidential Approval Tracker is A USA Today feature.

Engaged Work Life = Happier Home Life

"Employees who are invigorated and dedicated at work carry over their positive work experiences for a happier home life, U.S. researchers say."

Report on the 10 Top-Paid U.S. CEOs

"Blackstone Group LP's Stephen Schwarzman topped a list of the 10 highest-paid chief executives in the United States, as reported by The CorporateLibrary on Thursday. . ."

Study: Women Create ‘Their Own Glass Ceiling’

"A new study shows female managers are more than three times as likely as their male counterparts to underrate their bosses' opinions of their job performance."

Top Ten Crooked CEOs

Top Ten Crooked CEOS (Slideshow)

Presidential Career Paths

"Only 35 percent of first-time CIC presidents came from provost positions, the study found. Nationally the average was 40 percent. At CIC member institutions, 33 percent came from non-academic officer positions, compared to 23 percent nationally. And another 13 percent of CIC presidents came from outside higher education."

Hunches, Decision-Making, and Battle

While this article focuses on the importance of hunches in decision-making in a battlefield setting, the implications probably go beyond that specific setting.

Team Of Rivals (Zsvangiria and Mugabe)

Time Magazine article on Zimbabwe's two leaders, Zsvangiria and Mugabe

The Principal's Pathway to the Superintendency

Leadership article from Principal Magazine

Interesting Abraham Lincoln Article

There have been a lot of articles published about Lincoln lately because he was born 200 years ago--it is the celebration of his bicentennial year.

Stress and Decision-Making

"You may identify with the rats in a new Portuguese study. When exposed to daily chronic stress-- being cooped up in a plastic tube for half an hour, say, or forced to swim for 10 minutes -- they soon became lousy decision makers, relying on habit instead of actively thinking about whether to press a lever to get a food pellet."

The Essence of War: Clausewitz as Educator

"Clausewitz (1780-1831) studied total war. Although he knew nothing of tanks, air forces, or satellite communications, he knew from combat how wars kill, confuse, and terrify. In war studies, expertise matters enormously; he had plenty. . ."

The Essence of War: Clausewitz as Educator

"Clausewitz (1780-1831) studied total war. Although he knew nothing of tanks, air forces, or satellite communications, he knew from combat how wars kill, confuse, and terrify. In war studies, expertise matters enormously; he had plenty. . ."

Edward Kennedy: A Lion But No Lionization

Newsweek article on the highly influential U.S. Senator, Edward Kennedy

The Little Woman with the Big Legacy

"In her life as a missionary in China, Lottie Moon stood barely more than four feet tall. In death, she weighed about 50 pounds. Her impact on the history of missions, however, has been enormous."

Corazon Aquino Slideshow

Interesting slideshow covering a range of time in the political life of Corazon Aquino

Often, Men Help Women Get to the Corner Office

"When USA TODAY asked female CEOs, chairs and company founders to identify the one mentor who had the most influence on their careers, 33 of the 34 who responded identified a man."

Interesting Article on Former Peru President Fujimori

This article raises some interesting ethical issues regarding leadership.

A Challenging Role for the Principal--To Teach Again!

Principal Magazine article.

Women of the Future: Powerful, Stressed

"Women are gaining economic clout, but they’re also feeling overburdened, a survey of 12,000 women in 21 countries finds. Women spend some 70% of consumer dollars globally and are set to produce 70% of household income growth in the next 5 years. . ."

Microsoft's Gates gets Indira Gandhi Prize

"Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Saturday received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development from India's president, a government statement said.
The prize recognizes his work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is awarded annually to individuals or organizations for creative efforts that promote peace, development and a new international economic order."

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder of Special Olympics, Dies at 88

"Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and a champion of the disabled who founded the Special Olympics, died Tuesday, the Special Olympics said. She was 88."

Khmer Rouge Chief Asks for 'Harshest Punishment'

Kaing Guek Eav was the "former head of the Khmer Rouge's main torture center" but later became an evangelical Christian. Now he is repentant and asks that he receive a very harsh sentence for his crimes.

"'I accept the regret, the sorrow, and the suffering of the million Cambodian people who lost their husbands and wives,' the defendant said. 'I would like the Cambodian people to condemn me to the harshest punishment.' Up to 16,000 were tortured under Duch's command. Later he became an evangelical Christian and worked for international aid organizations, but he says his crimes were 'like the death of an elephant which no one can hide with only two tamarind tree leaves.'"

People Power's Philippine Saint: Corazon Aquino

"The arc of Corazon Aquino's life lent itself to maxims, but two hard-nosed ones seem particularly worth pointing out. First, political sainthood is a gift from heaven with a Cinderella deadline — once past midnight, you are a pumpkin. Second, personal virtues are never a guarantee of effective or successful governance. What was truly shocking about Aquino's tumultuous six-year term as President of the Philippines was that those maxims proved untrue. Midnight always threatened Aquino but never struck; and she was a good woman whose goodness alone, at the very end, was what proved enough, if only by an iota, to save her country."

Top 10 Worst-Dressed World Leaders (Funny)

This slideshow is funny.

Women of the Future: Powerful, Stressed

"Women are gaining economic clout, but they’re also feeling overburdened, a survey of 12,000 women in 21 countries finds. Women spend some 70% of consumer dollars globally and are set to produce 70% of household income growth in the next 5 years. . ."

Often, Men Help Women Get to the Corner Office

"When USA TODAY asked female CEOs, chairs and company founders to identify the one mentor who had the most influence on their careers, 33 of the 34 who responded identified a man."

Study: Bank Bonuses Far Exceeded Profits

"Several financial giants that received federal bailout money in the last year paid out bonuses to employees in 2008 that greatly exceeded the amount of profit generated by the banks, according to a study on executive compensation released by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Thursday."

Team Of Rivals (Zsvangiria and Mugabe)

Can a team of (bitter) rivals heal Zimbabwe?

Hunches, Decision-Making, and Battle

". . .The study complements a growing body of work suggesting that the speed with which the brain reads and interprets sensations like the feelings in one’s own body and emotions in the body language of others is central to avoiding imminent threats."

Cattle Ranch Humor (Related to Leadership)

ALL I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED ON THE CATTLE RANGE

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

4. Always drink upstream from the herd.

5. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

6. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in
your pocket.

7. There are three kinds of men:
- The ones who learn by reading.
- The few who learn by observation.
- The rest of them have to touch the electric fence to see if it's really on.

8. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad
judgment.

9. If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then
to make sure it's still there.

Nixon Library Releases 154 hours of White House Tape Recordings Online

"On June 23, 2009, the Nixon Presidential Library will be opening approximately 154 hours of tape recordings from the Nixon White House recorded in January and February 1973 and consisting of approximately 994 conversations. The conversations cover topics such as the conclusion of a peace settlement between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the return of American POWs, President Nixon’s second inauguration, the U.S. and Europe, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, Energy policy, the reorganization of the executive branch, and the first Watergate trial."

Nixon Library Releases 154 hours of White House Tape Recordings Online

"On June 23, 2009, the Nixon Presidential Library will be opening approximately 154 hours of tape recordings from the Nixon White House recorded in January and February 1973 and consisting of approximately 994 conversations. The conversations cover topics such as the conclusion of a peace settlement between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the return of American POWs, President Nixon’s second inauguration, the U.S. and Europe, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, Energy policy, the reorganization of the executive branch, and the first Watergate trial."

Obama's 10 Most Important Faith Leaders

"Even before Barack Obama was elected president, religious figures loomed large in his political career. . .In an administration that keeps in touch with hundreds of faith leaders, here are the 10 most important."

Interesting Article on John Calvin

"Known as a divisive theologian, John Calvin has become a unifying figure 500 years after his birth on July 10, 1509. Already several sources have recounted how conservative Baptists, charismatics, Presbyterians, and others have rallied around the reformer's teaching about the glory and sovereignty of God. But fewer have observed the diverse collection of mainline Christians who have stepped forward to defend Calvin, sometimes confronting ignorance within their own historically Reformed denominations."

Leadership Humor

A manager was complaining in a staff meeting the other day that he wasn't getting any respect. Later that morning he went out and got a small sign that read, "I'm the Boss." He then taped it to his office door.

Later that day when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that said: "Your wife called. She wants you to bring her sign back."

Benchmarks: The Typical Small Group

"Because it is difficult to get a handle on what is going on in other small groups outside of your own (or your own church), SmallGroups.com does live surveys each month on a variety of small-group topics. The purpose of these surveys is to uncover a sense of what is going on in small groups around the world, and particularly in North America. . . .here are some results of SmallGroups.com surveys on the subject of what goes on during typical small-group meetings."

A tough job for P&G's new CEO

"When news broke Tuesday that Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley would step down in July, all eyes turned to his successor, COO Bob McDonald. The transition comes at a crucial juncture for P&G, which will rely on McDonald's skills as an operator going forward. But what's less known -- and perhaps equally valuable -- is that the incoming CEO is, like Lafley, an impassioned manager."

Interview with Robert Wuthnow: Global is the New Local

"Today, globalized economic and communications networks create new possibilities for American congregations, says Princeton University's Robert Wuthnow in his most recent book, Boundless Faith: The Global Outreach of American Churches. Since 2000, for instance, 12 percent of active churchgoers reported having gone overseas on a short-term mission while in their teen years. That is up from 5 percent in the 1990s, 4 percent in the 1980s, and only 2 percent before that. Currently, this represents about 100,000 congregations (or one-third of all congregations) every year sending teams that average about 18 members."

Israel’s Elder Statesman, Now With Renewed Clout

"AFTER 60 roller-coaster years in Israeli politics, including two stints as prime minister, Shimon Peres, probably did not expect his career to take any more surprising turns. When he became president of the nation two years ago, a job usually described here as ceremonial, many Israelis assumed the man long known as a perennial plotter and dreamer would gracefully semi-retire. Instead, Mr. Peres, 85, the last of Israel’s founding fathers in office, seems to have been reborn. Though he was often mocked here in the past as a serial election loser and has commanded less respect for his dovish political views at home than abroad, Mr. Peres is basking in more power and public acceptance than ever before."

Merkel is the Message (Successful German Chancellor)

Two articles: Merkel is the message and The Mystery of Mrs. Merkel

Corporate Convicts: Where Are They Now?

"When Bernard Madoff is sentenced Monday, he'll join a pantheon of corporate criminals doing real time. Here's a look at how the most famous while-collar cons are faring."

How Employee Engagement Turned Around Campbell's

An interview with Douglas Conant, CEO of Campbell Soup Co.

The Legacy of FDR

Several good articles on FDR are available at this site.

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Henry VIII

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Henry VIII

In Sickness and in Health (Provosts and CFO's)

"It may come as a surprise, but when you get a group of provosts and chief financial officers together, it sometimes feels like an episode of The Honeymooners. As a Sunday session at the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Business Officers illustrated, the partnership of these two high-level administrators is at times more like a marriage than a traditional professional relationship."

Is Apple Obliged To Say More About CEO's Health?

"Some might say Steve Jobs isn't just the chief executive of Apple, he is Apple. So when a Memphis hospital disclosed this week that Jobs received a liver transplant because he had 'end-stage liver disease' and was the sickest patient on the list, it raised some new questions: Should Apple have disclosed more about his condition to investors?"

Merkel is the Message

"WHAT oratory is to Barack Obama, the photo-opportunity is to Angela Merkel. In a red parka before a receding iceberg in Greenland; among dark-suited world leaders, one of them yet distinctive in her signature trouser-suit; sombre in black alongside Mr Obama at the Buchenwald memorial site. Through such images, the chancellor has defined herself in the eyes of her fellow Germans as a leader who holds her own in the highest councils and masters the knottiest problems."

Even in Tough Times, Bosses Can Still Say ‘Yes’

"Companies that handle their employees with the right care can come out of tough times with more loyal and appreciative workers than they started with."

Generation Y Makes Waves in Workplace

"They might wear flip flops to the office and address colleagues as 'dude,' but the youngest generation of workers brings fresh creativity and openness to the workplace. The challenge of managing Generation Y, or the Millennials -- born between 1980 and 1999 -- has spawned a small industry of expertise and literature, including 'Keeping the Millennials,' new this month, and 'Y in the Workplace,' due out in July. Both books argue that the newest generation is making waves in the office that must be addressed and tended. Some 40 million Millennials work in corporate America, a figure expected to hit 58 million by 2014."

Heads of Top U.S. Companies Snub Blogs, Facebook: Study

"The heads of the top U.S. companies might be engaged in the boardroom, but they're switched off when it comes to social media, according to a new study that said CEOs should be more connected to their customers. Research conducted by the blog UberCEO.com looked at Fortune's 2009 list of the top 100 CEOs to determine how many were using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, or had a blog -- and found they were mostly absent from the rapidly growing social media community. The study found only two CEOs had Twitter accounts and 81 percent of CEOs did not have a personal Facebook page."

Report: The College of 2020 - Students (Executive Summary)

This is the executive summary of a report from the Chronicle of Higher Education research division. The actual report costs $75, but I was able to send this executive summary at no cost.

Eight Women's Paths to Power

"These eight women came from many different backgrounds, but they all had big dreams. The path to power meant facing obstacles and their biggest fears."

Presidents Seeking Counsel From Ex-Presidents

"Incumbent presidents sometimes avoid contact with their predecessors because they don't want to be tarnished by past errors and seem insecure in their own judgments. But experts say misplaced pride should not keep Obama from using his predecessors to help him govern. It's been done before. John F. Kennedy famously asked Dwight Eisenhower, his seasoned predecessor and a former general, for guidance and support after the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961, and Ike obliged. . ."

Bailed-out Banks' CEOs Used Jets for Personal Use

"Chief executives of some banks that received federal money, including Bank of America Corp, Morgan Stanley and Regions Financial Corp, used company jets for their personal use, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website."

Sen. Ensign Quits GOP Post After Admitting Affair

"Sen. John Ensign of Nevada resigned his Republican leadership post Wednesday, one day after confessing marital infidelity. Aides refused to answer questions about records showing that a woman on his political payroll received a promotion and a pay raise around the time he said the affair began in late 2007. Nor would Ensign or aides respond to reports of an earlier affair, in 2002."

Higher Education and the Third Reich

"A new book examines American colleges’ ties to Nazi Germany in the 1930s -- and chronicles a record characterized by indifference, complicity and collaboration."

Survival Tactics for College Presidents

It's looking like a hot, sticky and scandalous summer is in store for higher education. In recent weeks, controversies of varied size have embroiled college chiefs at the University of Illinois, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and North Carolina State University, where Chancellor James L. Oblinger resigned Monday. . .So how do presidents successfully navigate through these sorts of troubled waters, or -- better yet -- avoid such controversies altogether? Here’s what college presidents and other higher education experts have to say. . ."

A Promise to Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality

"When a new crop of future business leaders graduates from the Harvard Business School next week, many of them will be taking a new oath that says, in effect, greed is not good. Nearly 20 percent of the graduating class have signed 'The M.B.A. Oath,' a voluntary student-led pledge that the goal of a business manager is to 'serve the greater good.' It promises that Harvard M.B.A.’s will act responsibly, ethically and refrain from advancing their 'own narrow ambitions' at the expense of others."

Profile: Kim Jong-un

"Kim Jong-il's third son, Kim Jong-un, will become North Korea's next leader, according to unconfirmed South Korean media reports. The BBC News website and BBC Monitoring profile this elusive young man."

North Korea's Kim Moves to Anoint Youngest Son as Heir

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has signaled the anointment of his youngest son as heir to the ruling family dynasty as the rival Koreas bolstered their militaries along a disputed sea border on Tuesday."

King Henry VIII Resources

There are some excellent resources on King Henry VIII associated with the 500th anniversary of his ascent to the throne:

Henry VIII: 500th Anniversary of Henry VIII's Accession to the Throne
Henry VIII: A 500th Anniversary Exhibition
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch

A New Agenda for Boards of Directors

"Directors need to restore trust and reset their goals, says Ira M. Millstein, associate dean for corporate governance at the Yale School of Management."

CEOs Without College Degrees

"The thousands of wait-listed would-be MBAs who may not get the chance to go to their dream B-school might want to draw inspiration from the following group of CEOs. Not only did they not get graduate degrees, they didn't get undergraduate degrees—and some never even attended college."

The Magic Potion Of Hard Power Mixed With Soft Emotion

". . .The president refused all offers to let him cut the line. When he got his burger, he sat down to lunch with his vice president at a vinyl-tableclothed table near a sign requesting customers not to take a table before getting their food. Here is the man who occupies the most powerful position in the world, queuing up at a burger stand. It puts me in mind of another presidential image that resonated with the nation almost half a century ago--the image of John F. Kennedy sitting at his desk in the Oval Office as his 3-year-old son peeks out from underneath. Both scenes gave us a glimpse of immense power tempered by shades of human softness."

GM's Long Road to Bankruptcy

"GM stood atop the Fortune 500 nine years ago; it now stands on the brink of bankruptcy court as sales decline and cash becomes scarce. Moreover, GM bondholders are intensely unhappy with the terms they were offered as part of a plan to avoid bankruptcy, so even though the United Auto Workers struck a deal with management on Thursday, bankruptcy still looms as the probable course. How did such a once great company become so desperate? Perhaps the better question is, how did GM's well-paid management fritter away a treasure chest of brand loyalty and corporate wealth? There's not a single bad decision or one misguided executive that we can point to and say, 'but for that GM would still rein supreme.' GM's is a long-term management failure with a litany of losing moves over the decades, from the Chevy Corvair to the acquisition of Hummer — a rolling insult to the environment — that have collectively destroyed GM's balance sheet and sent its customers wandering."

New Justice Could Hold the Key to Presidential Power

"As President Obama prepares to replace Justice David H. Souter on the Supreme Court, conventional wisdom says his nominee will have little chance to change the court because all the contenders appear to share Justice Souter’s approach on social issues, like abortion rights. The latest on President Obama, the new administration and other news from Washington and around the nation. But the effect on presidential power could be pivotal. Important rulings on executive authority — striking down military Commissions and upholding habeas corpus rights for Guantánamo detainees — have been decided by a five-vote majority, including Justice Souter, on the nine-member court. . ."

Beneath a British Scandal, Deeper Furies

"To speak of a “political revolution” in Britain would seem chimerical were it not for the number of times the possibility has been raised these days, in precisely those terms, by politicians and the London-based commentariat. Suddenly, the talk is of a political system grown petrified, and in urgent need of a root-and-branch overhaul that restores the accountability of politicians — and of the government — to the people."

10 Questions for Alan Mulally (Ford CEO)

10 Questions for Alan Mulally

17 Ways College Campuses Are Changing

"The fifth-century B.C. Greek philosopher Heraclitus used to exclaim everything changes, nothing stands still. Well, colleges are in flux, too. Here are the 17 biggest differences between college today and college just 10 years ago."

South Korea Stunned by Former Prime Minister Roh's Suicide

"South Koreans have expressed deep shock at the apparent suicide of former president Roh Moo-hyun, who was under investigation for alleged corruption."

Leadership Humor

"I have to have a raise," the man said to his boss. "There are three other companies after me."

"Is that so?" asked the manager. "What other companies are after you?"

"The electric company, the telephone company, and the gas company."

Britain: 2 Are Suspended From the House of Lords

"The House of Lords suspended two Labor Party peers on Wednesday for offering to amend laws in exchange for cash, the first time any member of the upper house of Parliament had been suspended in more than 350 years."

Black Woman About to Break Ground as Rabbi

"A convert to Judaism who was raised as a Pentecostal Christian is about to become the first black woman rabbi in the United States, Jewish educators say."

Behind the Fortune 500’s First Female CEO Handoff

"This is a groundbreaking day in American business. With the decision of Anne Mulcahy to pass the chief executive role at Xerox (XRX) to Ursula Burns, the Fortune 500 has its first ever woman-to-woman CEO hand-off. The transition, due July 1, will also make Burns, 50, the first African-American female CEO in the Fortune 500. . ."

Presidents in Waiting

"This exhibit focuses on the 14 U.S. vice presidents who became president though election, resignation of a president, or other means. Features essays about and images of the vice presidents who became presidents, and video interviews with four living vice presidents -- Dick Cheney, George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, and Walter Mondale -- on what it is like to be a 'president in waiting.' From the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery." (From Lii.org)

Bill Hybels - Finding Your Leadership Style

"I notice at least 10 major ways gifted leaders lead their teams."

The Future of Work

"Ten years ago, Facebook didn't exist. Ten years before that, we didn't have the Web. So who knows what jobs will be born a decade from now? Though unemployment is at a 25‑year high, work will eventually return. But it won't look the same. No one is going to pay you just to show up. We will see a more flexible, more freelance, more collaborative and far less secure work world. It will be run by a generation with new values — and women will increasingly be at the controls. . ."

Colleges Moving Away From Pure "Cafeteria-Style" General Education Requirements

"Two-thirds of Colleges Are Incorporating More Engaged and Integrative Learning Practices Into General Education Programs."

'10-10-10': A Fast Approach to the Right Decision

"In her new book '10-10-10,' Suzy Welch advocates a fast and reasoned approach to decision making by asking readers to think about the impact their decisions will have in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years."

Article on Jack Kemp

"Mr Kemp was one of the most prominent Republicans of his generation. He was secretary of housing and urban development under the first George Bush. He thought of running for the Republican nomination in 1996 and became Bob Dole’s running-mate. But his real influence was ideological. He was a tireless advocate of supply-side economics: the man who persuaded Ronald Reagan to abandon deficit-hawk Republicanism in favour of aggressive tax cuts. . ."

World Leaders - An Online Directory

"The CIA publishes and updates the online directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments regularly. The directory is intended to be used primarily as a reference aid and includes as many governments of the world as is considered practical, some of them not officially recognized by the United States."

The Final Triumph of Chiang Kai-shek

"Chiang Kai-shek ranks as one of the most despised leaders of the 20th century. Famously derided as "Peanut" and "General Cash-My-Check," the leader of China's Nationalist government bedeviled the Allied war effort in World War II with his lackluster defense of his country. His corrupt and brutal regime squandered billions of dollars in American aid and drove the Chinese into the arms of the communists. He died in exile a deluded despot, relegated to a footnote in modern Chinese history. Or so the conventional story goes. . ."

Obama's First 100 Days

"This Wall Street Journal blog covers the first one hundred days in office of President Barack Obama, with an emphasis on economic matters. Topics include the automobile industry, health insurance, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon credits, banks undergoing stress tests in April 2009, the budget, credit cards, economic stimulus, and more."

Leading Artists: Five Principles for Overseeing Right-Brained Team Members

"Single-mindedly devoted to their craft, artists can slip into self-absorption and lose sight of the big picture. It's rare to have a simple conversation with artists or a simple decision about approach and ministry. Artists often see the world in shades of gray rather than black and white, and they resist quick or simplistic conclusions. . ."

New 'Lessons in Leadership' Guide

Want to be a better leader? Here's our guide, featuring step-by-step how-tos, related Wall Street Journal stories and video interviews with CEOs.

Articles on Management Gurus

Articles on Elliot Jacques, Clayton Christensen, Elton Mayo, and Ikujiro Nanaka.

Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity

"[A] new study from the Barna Group identifies an underlying reason why there is little progress in helping people develop spiritually: many churchgoers and clergy struggle to articulate a basic understanding of spiritual maturity. People aspire to be spiritually mature, but they do not know what it means. Pastors want to guide others on the path to spiritual wholeness, but they are often not clearly defining the goals or the outcomes of that process."

Study: More Women Named to Boards

"Are more women moving into corporate boardrooms? At least one study says yes. In the first three months of the year, 38% of new directors – 38 of 101 appointments – were women, according to data compiled by quarterly journal Directors and Boards. That's the highest number and percentage since the publication began counting in 1994."

D. Michael Lindsay Review Article - "Beyond Platitudes"

"Susann, an exchange student from Germany, approached me recently after class. 'Why are Americans so concerned about the private lives of their leaders?' she asked. Referring to a chapter we recently read about President Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinski, Susann was shocked at how the president's personal life could frustrate the political agenda of his final two years in office. Ever since the visits of Tocqueville, Europeans have been surprised by religion's influence on American public life. Indeed, religious morality provided the spine that allowed democratic muscles to stretch and grow during Jacksonian democracy. And today, faith grounds the actions and ethical deliberations of leaders throughout the halls of power. Shortly after my conversation with Susann, I read Douglas A. Hicks' refreshing new book With God on All Sides: Leadership in a Devout and Diverse America. Hicks brings together several different streams of thought from religious studies, history, and current affairs while reflecting on the unique challenges and opportunities that leaders face today. This book—more than any other I know of—provides insight and direction on how leaders ought to respond to America's increasing religious pluralism with both openness to the perspectives of others and fealty to their own faith commitments. . ."

World's Most Reputable Companies: The Rankings

"Reputation Institute's annual survey rated 600 companies. Here's who made the top 200."

The Hidden Costs of Overbearing Bosses

"As we burrow deeper into the recession, companies around the world are cutting costs in all the usual ways—by reducing headcount, slashing capital budgets, and trimming overheads. All these measures are vital. But in their quest to root out inefficiencies, companies should also be focusing on the hidden but substantial costs of supercilious and overbearing bosses. Last year, a global survey of 90,000 employees by Towers Perrin revealed that only 21% of employees are highly engaged in their work. The other 79% may be physically on the job, but they’ve left their enthusiasm and ingenuity at home. This is a scandalous waste of human capability. It’s also a virtually bottomless reservoir of creative potential that has yet to be tapped."

Problem Behaviors in the Workplace

Sylvia Lafair, a clinical psychologist, recently authored Don't Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns that Limit Success (Jossey-Bass). "Lafair's research shows that, much as we like to believe that our behavior is entirely rational and governed by our conscious mind, our thoughts and actions are often driven by the roles we learned in our families as children. And under pressure, we tend to revert to old patterns."

Genius: The Modern View

"The latest research suggests a more prosaic, democratic, even puritanical view of the world. The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It’s not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it’s deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft."

Women are Business Risk-Takers Too, Study Says

"New research by the Simmons School of Management, based in Boston, Massachusetts, contends that not only do female managers take more risks than believed, but that they should also more actively seek out credit for their boldness. The school carried out a survey of more than 650 female managers who attended a major conference, asking them not only about the narrow, conventional view of business risk, related to hypothetical financial scenarios, but also wider opportunities taken in business and professional development."

Margaret Thatcher Article

". . .Thatcher's true genius was her relentless focus on making policy in support of a remarkably prosaic goal: to let middle-class folk feel that hard work would be rewarded in a better future for their children. Prosaic — but a profound break with what had gone before."

Obama Reveling in U.S. Power Unseen in Decades

"Barack Obama is reveling in presidential power and influence unseen in Washington for decades. Barely 100 days in office, the U.S. president and his Democratic Party have firm control over the White House and Congress and the ability to push through ambitious plans."

FDR Pushed to Get Jews to Safety in 1930s

"Newly uncovered documents reveal that President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked quietly in the late 1930s to find havens for European Jews, contradicting the view that he ignored their plight in the years leading up to the Holocaust."

Number of Students Leaving School Early Continues to Increase, Study Says

"Almost six years after a lawsuit forced the city to pledge to keep better track of students who leave public schools without graduating, the number leaving high schools has continued to climb, according to a report to be released Thursday by the public advocate’s office. The report raises questions about why more than 20 percent of students from the class of 2007 were discharged — the term for students who leave the school system without graduating — but 17.5 percent from the class of 2000 were. Much of the increase has come from students who are discharged in the ninth grade, which has gone up to 7.5 percent for the class of 2007, but was 3.8 percent in 2000."

A. Lincoln, Private and Public (Interview with Historian Ronald C. White)

"Ronald C. White Jr., a Huntington Library fellow and a visiting professor of history at UCLA, is the author of the bestselling books Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year) and The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words. His latest book A. Lincoln: A Biography (2009) has been a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller and a History Book Club selection." This article is an interview with White about Lincoln.

The 2009 Time 100 (Most Influential People)

The 2009 Time 100 (Most Influential People) "In our annual TIME 100 issue, we do the impossible: name the people who most affect our world."

Interactive Chart: First 100 Days of Presidencies

Interactive Chart: First 100 Days of Presidencies

Self Conficence for Leaders

"I will share a few suggestions about how you can build your self-confidence, as it is a key quality that leaders must possess. . ."

The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500

"The experience of growing up online will profoundly shape the workplace expectations of 'Generation F' – the Facebook Generation. At a minimum, they’ll expect the social environment of work to reflect the social context of the Web, rather than as is currently the case, a mid-20th-century Weberian bureaucracy."

Fortune 500 (2009) Women CEOs

"From health care, to food, to retail, to technology, these 15 women show what it takes to lead some of the nation's biggest companies."

Leadership and Narcissism

Narcisissim is often associated with leadership. Here is an interesting Psychology Today article entitled "A Field Guide to Narcissism." Also, see this Mayo Clinic item on Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Another interesting article is "Researchers Shine Spotlight on Narcissistic Personality Disorder." Finally, see this article on "Understanding and Working With Narcissistic Leaders."

Experts: Workers "Sucking Up" is Bad for Business

"Whether it's called buttering up the boss, brown-nosing, sucking up or managing up, experts say ingratiating behavior is bound to be on the rise in the workplace as workers fret about keeping their jobs in tough economic times. But such behavior can be bad for business, they said. 'People who tend to 'manage up' anyway are managing up more. They really want to make sure people are noticing what they're doing,' said Max Caldwell, an expert in workforce effectiveness at Towers Perrin management consultants."

Pick A CEO Who Truly Fits The Company

"Turnover of chief executive officers--a prime indicator of wrong leadership--was 50% higher coming into this recession than at the start of the previous one, in 2001. Several statistics cited in the new book The Right Leader: Selecting Executives Who Fit (co-written by one of the authors of this article) likewise indicate that as we entered the current recession, more and more companies were discovering that they didn't have the right leaders to guide them through normal economic conditions, let alone those we face today. Among them: Some 40% of new CEOs are fired, or 'retired,' within their first 18 months, and 64% of them never make it to their fourth anniversary on the job. The average cost of replacing a CEO after 18 months ranges from $12 million for small-cap firms to $52 million for large ones. And not having the right leaders costs American industry an estimated $14 billion a year, not even counting the price to shareholders in lost market capitalization and increased stock volatility, and to businesses themselves in being left demoralized, floundering and ripe for the picking."

Your Hidden Curriculum

"What do people learn from you about the Christian life? Sometimes it's what you never intended to teach." The article applies this idea to pastors and how they lead.

Wall Street Journal Survey of CEO Compensation

"The Wall Street Journal CEO Compensation Study was conducted by Hay Group, a management-consulting firm. The study analyzes CEO pay from the first 200 U. S. companies with fiscal year 2008 revenue of at least $5 billion that filed their proxy statements between October 2008 and March 2009."

Impact of Poor Worker Health on Profit and Productivity

"Poor health among workers is far costlier to U.S. employers than they realize, affecting their productivity and bottom line, researchers say. The researchers of the multiyear study of 10 organizations employing more than 150,000 workers analyzed more than 1.1 million medical and pharmacy claims. The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, finds that when considering medical and drug costs alone, the top five conditions driving costs are cancer, other than skin cancer; back/neck pain; coronary heart disease; chronic pain and high cholesterol. However, when health-related productivity costs are measured along with medical and pharmacy costs, the top five chronic health conditions driving overall health costs shift significantly, to depression, obesity, arthritis, back/neck pain and anxiety."

More CEOs Got Pay Hikes Than Cuts in '08

"More U.S. chief executives got pay raises than had their pay cut in 2008, a year when billions in taxpayer dollars went to prop up struggling companies and millions of workers lost jobs, according to an AFL-CIO survey released on Tuesday."

U.S. Institute Names 99 Top Ethical Companies

"The Ethisphere Institute on Monday named 99 companies it says are the world's most ethical, its third annual listing designed to encourage ethical practices within the global business community."

Women's Achilles' Heel: The Vision Thing

"Study results--based on the responses of nearly 3,000 male and female executives plus 22,000 of their supervisors, peers and subordinates--ranked women highest in almost every category of leadership except the most crucial one: having and communicating a vision."

Make Sure Your Employees Trust You--Or Else

"The key to building trust in both good and bad times is to realize that none of us is as smart as all of us. There are companies that have embraced this simple truth and used it to maintain trust before, during and, we're sure, after this economic downturn. All these companies seem to have two characteristics in common. . ."

Job Promotions Are Unhealthy, Study Finds

"British researchers found that when people get promoted, they suffer on average about 10 percent more mental strain and are less likely to find the time to go to the doctor. . .'Getting a promotion at work is not as great as many people think. Our research finds that the mental health of managers typically deteriorates after a job promotion, and in a way that goes beyond merely a short-term change, 'said Chris Boyce of the University of Warwick. 'There are no indications of any health improvements for promoted people other than reduced attendance at GP surgeries [i.e. doctors visits], which may itself be something to worry about rather than celebrate.'"

Study: Overweight Men More Likely to Get Promoted Than Overweight Women

"Being overweight doesn't appear to be a hindrance for men in the workplace, but it may weigh down women's chances for advancement, U.S. researchers report in a study published in the British journal, Equal Opportunities International. . .'The results suggest that while being obese limits the career opportunities of both women and men, being 'merely overweight' harms only female executives — and may actually benefit male executives,' researcher Mark Roehling, an associate professor of human resource management at Michigan State."

Guiding Your Church through Financial Crisis

"Less than one quarter into the year, most church budgets are running behind, and many have been forced to lay off staff or take other austerity measures. . ."

How to Control Negative Emotions

"During an economic storm, everything solid melts into air. When it's not clear if there's a tomorrow to work toward, how do you keep morale up and communication channels open? To help you stay afloat, here's my brief field guide to anger, fear and ambivalence, three negative emotions that many business owners wrestle with today."

Student Aid Contributes to Ballooning Tuition, Report Says

"Increased federal student aid, especially to middle-class families, is contributing to the rising cost of higher education, a report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity says. The report concludes that federally backed loans should be offered to only low-income families, not expanded to help more middle-class families, and that 'the expanded tuition tax credits in the 2009 stimulus bill are probably a step backward.'"

CEO Pay Sinks for First Time in 7 Years

"CEOs took a pay cut in 2008—their first in seven years—as profits plunged and brought bonuses with them. The median compensation for the leaders of 200 big US companies fell 8.5% to $2.24 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. That includes both salaries, which rose 4.5%, and bonuses, which dropped 10.9%, as profits fell 5.8%. At financial firms, the drop was even steeper, with total compensation falling 14.2%."

The Peter Principle Lives

"The Peter Principle, about to be reissued in a 40th anniversary edition, was a best seller when it was first published. A satiric treatise on workplace incompetence, it touched a nerve with readers because it was so funny. And so true. . ."

Jack Welsh: How Obama is Doing in Terms of Leadership

It is interesting to see how Jack Welsh and his wife evaluate Obama as a leader (leaving political positions aside).

Flawed Leadership Values: The AIG Lesson

"As AIG has shown, the values an organization espouses are nothing more than hollow promises if the leadership team does not embody them."

The Changing Employer-Employee Relationship

"What can employees fairly expect from their employers in times like these? In tough times true character is revealed—this is just as true for companies as it is for individuals. The way employees are treated when the chips are down says a great deal about what really matters to employers. Ironically, these difficulties provide opportunities for employers to earn tremendous loyalty from their workforce. Of course, if the cards are misplayed, the damage in employee relations can take years to repair. Employers need to communicate tirelessly and strive for transparency. It may be all they have to offer employees in such resource-constrained times."

Economist Article: "Who Runs Britain?"

"Gordon Brown is simultaneously at the peak of his power and bereft of it."

A 'Tsunami' of Boomer Teacher Retirements is on the Horizon

"More than half the nation's teachers are Baby Boomers ages 50 and older and eligible for retirement over the next decade, a report says today. It warns that a retirement "tsunami" could rob schools of valuable experience. The report by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future calls for school administrators to take immediate action to lower attrition rates and establish programs that pass along valuable information from teaching veterans to new teachers."

The End of Christian America

"The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become."

How Obama Is Using the Science of Change

". . .President Obama is still relying on behavioral science. But now his Administration is using it to try to transform the country. Because when you know what makes people tick, it's a lot easier to help them change. . ."

In Japan, More CEOs Share the Pain of Tough Times

"While Merrill Lynch's John Thain was splurging on a $1.2 million office makeover and Lehman Bros.' Richard Fuld was drawing a $22 million bonus, the president of Japan Airlines was riding the bus to work, eating in the company cafeteria and cutting his salary to $98,000.
'I wanted to share the pain with my colleagues,' JAL President Haruka Nishimatsu, 61, says by e-mail. Nishimatsu had just imposed an early-retirement program that ended the careers of 'many staff of my generation.'"

Who Moved My Bonus? Executive Pay Makes a U-Turn

"BIG corporations, buffeted by widespread economic pain and heightened scrutiny of lush compensation packages, appear to be paying attention to a longstanding complaint from shareholders: When it comes to executive pay, greed — even the appearance of it — is not good. Executive compensation for the highest-paid chief executives at public companies fell in 2008, the first such downturn in five years. And the bottom dropped out of the bonus pool, the incentive that angered investors after the controversial bonus payouts at the American International Group."

Sick of Compromise, Christian Right Drops Politics

"A new generation of religious conservatives is turning its back on political activism, Kathleen Parker writes in the Washington Post. Today's Moral Majority accuses Christian leaders like James Dobson of bringing the cultural wars from churches to Congress and compromising their beliefs. Now, 'Dobson and the Christian right political movement is a failure,' said one, calling the loss 'self-inflicted.'"

Pope May Reshape US Church as Bishops Age Out

"With many bishops nearing the age of required retirement, the Vatican has a chance to reinvent the US Catholic Church, moving beyond church sex scandals and adapting to a growing immigrant presence, reports the Los Angeles Times. Almost a third of 265 current US bishops must step down in the next 5 years; more than half must resign within a decade."

Blagojevich Indicted on 16 Federal Felony Charges

"Impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested in December on charges of conspiracy and fraud, was indicted Thursday on 16 felony counts by a federal grand jury, the U.S. attorney's office said. The 19-count indictment charges Blagojevich and some of his closest aides and advisers with a wide-ranging "scheme to deprive the people of Illinois of honest government," according to a statement by the attorney's office. Blagojevich, 52, faces charges including racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud and making false statements to investigators, according to the release. Three counts in the indictment are against the aides and advisers."

CEO Pay Sinks for First Time in 7 Years

"CEOs took a pay cut in 2008—their first in seven years—as profits plunged and brought bonuses with them. The median compensation for the leaders of 200 big US companies fell 8.5% to $2.24 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. That includes both salaries, which rose 4.5%, and bonuses, which dropped 10.9%, as profits fell 5.8%. At financial firms, the drop was even steeper, with total compensation falling 14.2%."

THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet

"This service of the Library of Congress, features information on current legislation, the Congressional Record, links to Committee reports, and more." (Refdesk.com)

Willow Creek in Africa

". . .In fact, Willow Creek's outreach to Africa—specifically Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa—is as extensive as it is extraordinary. And it is extensive, ironically and precisely, because it bypasses multimillion-dollar nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work mostly with local churches. And hardly ever with other megachurches, but small, small churches. Furthermore, Willow refuses to bring to bear most of its vast expertise and technological resources. Instead, it relies on the basic resources and expertise of that small, local church. . ."

Reflections on GM's Ex-CEO Rick Wagoner

"The resignation of General Motors chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner has been rumored for weeks, if not months. After all, GM has lost more than $80 billion over the last four years and is dependent on handouts from the federal government for survival on a day-to-day basis. Something had to give. . ."

Eight CEOs on the Hot Seat

This is a slideshow of eight brief articles on CEOs under great pressure.

Presidential Searches and Personal Rolodexes

"I had a fascinating discussion not long ago with a consultant friend of mine about the relative value of expertise versus connections. We were serving the same client — he was helping the institution carry out a strategic plan and I was supporting its presidential search. The issue had arisen during a search-committee meeting as we boiled down the standard, walk-on-water job description to the four or five essential attributes and competencies on which that hiring decision would be based. It was then that the question of the breadth and quality of the candidate's personal contacts pretty quickly shot to near the top of the priority list. The committee clearly wanted someone who had a robust 'Rolodex,' especially when it came to potential financial supporters of the institution. . ."

Presidential Resources

The Presidential Speech Archive and the American President Multimedia Gallery are excellent presidential resources.

The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500

"The experience of growing up online will profoundly shape the workplace expectations of 'Generation F' – the Facebook Generation. At a minimum, they’ll expect the social environment of work to reflect the social context of the Web, rather than as is currently the case, a mid-20th-century Weberian bureaucracy. If your company hopes to attract the most creative and energetic members of Gen F, it will need to understand these Internet-derived expectations, and then reinvent its management practices accordingly. Sure, it’s a buyer’s market for talent right now, but that won’t always be the case—and in the future, any company that lacks a vital core of Gen F employees will soon find itself stuck in the mud."

American President Multimedia Gallery

"Indepth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each president and administration"

Presidential Speech Archive

"The Scripps Library, through cooperation with various presidential libraries, has been collecting some of the most important presidential speeches in American history. These speeches all have transcripts, and some are available in their entirety in full audio. Recently we have expanded our collection to include video speeches from President John F. Kennedy through President Barack Obama."

Research: Employees Treated with Dignity Perform Better

"Managers can get much better performance when they treat team members with honesty, kindness, dignity and respect, U.S. researchers found."

Article on Talleyrand

"He is one of history’s great survivors— and opportunists. Born into the high aristocracy, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) was by 34 a worldly, womanizing bishop. With the overthrow of the ancien régime, he adjusted to the new realities and embraced the revolution, rising fast and high in the new order even though it meant his excommunication. He fled the Terror, first to England and then to America. But Citizen Talleyrand soon returned, ingratiating himself with the Directoire and slithering into the remunerative post of foreign minister. . ."

Alexander Hamilton, Modern America’s Founding Father

". . .The other Founders were Americans of a century’s standing, who fought the Revolution to defend liberties their families had claimed for generations. Washington and Jefferson, landed grandees, descended from seventeenth-century Virginians; Harvard-educated John Adams’s forebears settled in Massachusetts Bay in 1638. Such men were rooted Americans, living on land inherited from their fathers. Hamilton, by contrast, was a penniless immigrant from the West Indies; like so many New Yorkers, he had come here from elsewhere, seeking his fortune."

The Best CEOs You Don't Know

"Few businesses are really thriving in this rough, tough economic time. Those led by remarkable chief executives who are proving themselves trustworthy--and maybe worth investing in too. Will you recognize the names below? Probably not, but that's just because it's usually the bad guys who make the headlines. . . ."

Free Online Handbook on Educational Technology

To help get colleges thinking about how they might adapt their teaching styles to the new ways students absorb and process information, Mr. Siemens and Peter Tittenberger, director of the center, have created a Web-based guide, called the Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning.

Yes, CEOs Should Facebook And Twitter

"Social networking has clearly reached a tipping point. Sites like MySpace and Facebook boast hundreds of millions of members. Barack Obama's presidential victory demonstrated that platforms like YouTube and Twitter could transform electoral politics. Yet in corporations where such tools have been expected to bring profound transformations, there has been strong resistance to change. . . ."

Community College Surge

"A survey released Tuesday here at a meeting of the League for Innovation in the Community College suggests that the early anecdotal reports of increased enrollment are in fact correct. Further, community colleges are reporting increases in just about every major type of program they offer -- with notable increases online."

College Study Finds Two-Year 'Penalty'

"A study being released today shows that people with a bachelor's degree who transferred from a community college earn less than those who start at a four-year school."

Web Dictionary Plans to Outdo Print Cousins

"The revolutionary new dictionary Wordnik, set to go online this week, provides the curious logophile with all these features and more, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Harnessing the native capabilities of the Internet, Wordnik definitions include images scraped from Flickr, audio recordings of pronunciations, and ratings of definitions by other users. The project includes 4 billion words and offers sample sentences plucked at random from the web."

2008 National Survey of Student Engagement

"Findings from a national survey released this week show that the quality of
undergraduate education varies far more within colleges and universities than between
them. As a result, rankings can be highly misleading predictors of educational quality.
Analyses of key “Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice” reveal that in almost
every case, more than 90 percent of the variation in undergraduate education quality
occurs within institutions, not between them. A related conclusion is that even
institutions with high benchmark scores have an appreciable share of students whose
undergraduate experience is average at best."
Actual Survey Results Site