I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. Mohandas Gandhi This post is inspired by a statement my father made during one of our walks, which I always greatly cherish. We walk, he talks, I quietly listen, nod my head from time to time, and without even realizing, the time passes... one… two… or more hours filled with my father’s wisdom and love. On this particular day we were discussing the difference between outspoken and silent leaders. In the business world, we have leaders and constituents. Sometimes, however, the constituents find and... Continue reading

Choice and Employee Motivation Organizational dynamics can be tricky to navigate each and every day from both a leader’s and a constituent’s position. As leaders, although we would like to organize everyone’s roles, and describe them clearly on a piece of paper aptly titled “Job Description,” our expectations often go beyond what a single sheet of paper can contain. It’s like a salad that can contain a mix of vegetables, but also some that may not appeal to everyone. Olives anyone? And let’s not forget about the salad dressing applied on top of everything else. Is it possible to have... Continue reading

With high demands for consistent and outstanding performance at work, most of us find ourselves being occupied more with work than with our family matters. Finding the balance between the two nowadays can present as a real challenge for most of us. However, life circumstances at times call for our attention, and family matters demand that we not only prioritize our time better, but also the direction of our focus and attention. Flextime started as a venue to decide one’s working hours that allow them flexibility to meet their personal needs, as well as the needs of the company. Over... Continue reading

Building a career can be exciting and also a strenuous process. It involves skill development, experience, and at times relocation as well. Even though we invest a lot of time and energy into our career building, there is nothing more painful than when in the midst of us finally achieving our goals or landing that dream job we find ourselves stuck and struggling with a new Toxic Leader or Toxic Working Environment. There are numerous articles and books that speak about leadership and the fact that the position does not make a leader, but rather it is their actions and... Continue reading

Leadership and management are two concepts that are often used interchangeably despite the difference in their roles. Authorities on leadership have made several arguments as to what factors differentiate leaders from managers. This is not to say that they can't work collaboratively toward a common goal. They can compliment each other while reaching for success. While these experts employ different methodologies to arrive at their conclusions, they agree on several major points. Stephen Covey describes this relationship by drawing a picture of a jungle. He envisions leaders as the people who go through the mud and tall grass first, clearing... Continue reading

We all have a different approach to our work. Some of us are content in the positions that we are currently in, while others work towards moving up the ladder and having an impact in what their job and job responsibility entails. No matter what direction we choose to accept or follow, in today’s job market we are almost always required to be visible at work. Our approach will determine whether we have a positive or negative impact on our audience, our superiors, customers, or constituents. If you are motivated and interested to move up in your position, or company,... Continue reading

Life transitions are not always predictable, but they are associated with a discontinuity with the past. A sudden change of events in our lives, such as the loss of a job, forces us to leave the life we had and knew behind and adjust to a new way of living, even though we might not be prepared to do so at the time. This sudden transition in our life is often accompanied with a variety of feelings that are often difficult to hide or suppress because ‘Job Loss’ is often not only about the loss of a job and the... Continue reading