Enjoy this curated list of leadership resources and articles related to organizational effectiveness. I made this list for a class but it’s actually somewhat valuable for anyone interested in what business schools are teaching these days.
Games Managers Play (Business Source Complete)
This article focuses on the advantages and drawbacks of “play” in developing leadership and teamwork skills in organizations. The article dives into the interplay of human psychology and job attitudes that impact performance. With the proper frameworks in place, using games and “play” in the workplace can foster a positive culture.
How to Organize team building (Business Source Complete)
This article delves into team-building exercises that create value for the firm. Balancing fun and games with a team challenge builds bonds between the colleagues which can be taken into the office and leveraged more effectively. Managers and employees can develop their communication and collaboration through various leadership activities and games.
12 Benefits of Teambuilding Article
This blog article written by Dwain Richardon, Managing director of Corporate Challenge Events, discusses 12 reasons why team building benefits the team. It sounds redundant, and much of the article is common sense, but two things stood out as unique thoughts I had not considered previously. One is respect- it takes time to get to know your teammates before you can gain their trust. Second, trust itself can be built in these exercises. Interactions are broken down into a simple game or team challenge, where status and job title no longer matter and the group trusts one another.
Create a culture of trust-Business Source Complete
This article goes into 10 specific ways leaders build trust in their teams. These include accountability, consistency and clear communication. Leaders must do more than talk- their actions are what set the tone for how trusting their teams will be, and ultimately, how successful.
Overcoming the 8 barriers to confidence – Link
Self-defeating assumptions, unrealistic goals, declaring victory too soon, blaming others, and neglecting to anticipate setbacks are a few of the ways confidence erodes. Ultimately confidence is crucial to success- if you think you can’t, you won’t. And its true, if your team thinks you are going to lose, there is not a chance you win. Overcoming these failure-causing barriers can prevent mistakes and setbacks that are not necessary to the learning and development of the team.
3 ways to build self-efficacy- Article
This article begins on the premise that research suggests the role of self-efficacy includes cultivating resilience. The piece hits home on the cyclical relationship between self-efficacy and resilience. Individuals who perceive their skills to be sufficient and capable are more likely to tackle bigger challenges. If they fail, it’s okay, because these folks tend to be resilient. Individuals who aren’t as confident in their abilities tend to be less resilient to adversity. Today, more than ever, resilience is necessary to having a successful career. When robots, a dip in the economy, or changing trend in society can disrupt traditional occupations, being resilient and adaptable as a professional is absolutely crucial.
Building Employee Confidence- Article
Often leaders have enough confidence- maybe too much. But new employees and subordinates with less experience tend to be less confident. According to this article, the number one personality trait that allows individuals to deal with change- is confidence. This article outlines 7 ways that managers and leaders can help build employee confidence. A few include: create small victories, acknowledge when things are going well, and don’t assume people know how good they are.
Three keys to building trust- Link
Limit lecturing, listen to learn, and work smarter. Simple and to the point, this article chooses three tangible ways a leader can be more effective. We all fall prey to these mistakes once in a while- learning how to listen, refrain from micro-managing, and use teammates effectively will boost the entire team’s productivity and elevate the status of the facilitator/leader. A good leader knows when to step back and when to be the coach- getting into the trenches might seem like the best option but will ultimately erode colleagues’ confidence and destroy trust.
How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity- BSC
A common mindset in business is that good ideas are rarer and more valuable than good people. The President of Pixar Ed Catmull disagrees- he says this is a misguided view of creativity that exaggerates the importance of the initial idea in developing an original product. According to Ed, creativity involves many people sharing their perspectives and collaborating to create a unique and creative product. He also understands that just because the company is successful doesn’t mean every idea they produce is good- he challenges employees and new hires to question everything and avoid assuming everything that comes down the pipe is a good idea.
Managing Multicultural teams
This study considers two groups of projects- Technical assistance and information technology. The article highlights and comparison between these two types of projects and how they function, focusing specifically on how the multicultural background of the group impacts the team performance and team management. Team managers have some tools and options for resolving conflict and knowing how to minimize cultural clashes and avoid misunderstandings. This article is incredibly valuable to anyone going into international business or wanting to work abroad.
Want high performing teams? Balance tasks and relationships Article
A blog by a young businessman from Emergenetics discusses the specific ways managers can strategize by balancing relationships and tasks in a project team. I won’t spoil the whole article, but it begins with understanding your resources and ends with effective communication and execution.
Are the Seattle Seahawks creating a new model for corporate culture? Article
Although a bit outdated- a few recent happenings would offer counter arguments to this article, the points contained remain valid. Players are encouraged and social issues are welcome in the locker room. The culture of openness and a sense of space for players’ personalities had both positive and negative outcomes. Coach Pete Carrol and the leadership of the organization had a huge impact on the success of the organization- whether it worked out to its full potential or not there are many lessons to be learned from the Seahawks culture during the past 5 years.
We can measure the power of charisma. Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 2010, pp. 34-35
One of the most interesting readings of the quarter- this article addresses the social cues that successful people send and defends the claim that the winner of a business plan can be predicted simply based on the social cues they send. “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” This is a must read for anyone interested in one of the earlier studies on charisma and success- as it turns out charisma is related to success. The folks who are more enthusiastic and positive tend to be more successful.
7 tips for effective listening. Internal Auditor. August 2003, V. 60, p. 23
This article touches on 7 tips for internal auditors to be more successful at their job as effective listeners and factors that make listening difficult. One thing I took away from this article was the importance of practicing paraphrasing- repeating what the other person says in the terms that you are thinking in will alleviate any misunderstanding and bring up any questions that need to be addressed. Other important things to consider include: sending the message that you are listening with your body language, focus on what others are saying, avoid early evaluations, and most importantly, listen for feelings.
Collaboration vs. competition: Lessons from a leaderless firm- Link
Influenced by two books, and with 16 years of professional law experience, two colleagues founded a law firm based on the principle of valuing the individual while turning a profit. The article, which is only accessible with a subscription, is a discovery of alternative workplace environments that do not depend heavily on competition.
More “boomerang” employees return to Microsoft as corporate culture shifts. Seattle Times, 3/3/18, Business Technology, by Rachel Lerman.-Article
This article is the story of how Microsoft developed a company culture which forced out good talent through a competitive and cutthroat environment. After CEO Satya Nadella took over, the company has attracted many of its ex-employees to return. The phenomenon of “boomerang employees” is a testament to one leader to implement a new culture which fosters creativity, growth and change.
Collaboration beats smarts in group problem solving-Article
Anita Woolley, an assistant professor of organizational behavior and theory, has been studying what it means to say a group is “intelligent.” The research suggests that teams which have many individuals with high IQ levels in a team tends to be less effective than a group of individuals that simply communicates and shares participation equally.
Goal Getters (articles by Kelly Robertson and Jason Womack). Personal Excellence. August, 2006, V. 11, p. 15
How effective are you with your time? This article offers 10 ways to be more productive in whatever you do by focusing on outcomes. A few that stood out include “talk about it, then sleep on it” and “get coaching.” Both of these resources involve collaborating with other people to get the most of the idea or task at hand: find good coaches and friends who can be honest critics and use them to get feedback on your work.
YouTube video on motivation
This animated video talk addresses scientific studies on financial rewards’ impact on performance and motivators in the workplace. Interesting and counter to what you might expect, a higher financial reward tends to lead to worse performance, and de-motivates the organization. While money does begin as a factor, once it becomes established at a high enough rate so that the employee isn’t thinking about the amount of money they are making then there are three determinants of performance: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. As a leader of an organization or member of a team this is a great video spark ideas for how to improve and become more effective.
What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review. January, 2004, V. 82, p. 82. Article
This article discusses the importance of emotional intelligence in predicting leadership performance. The term “threshold capabilities comes to mind here: while technical and analytical skills are required to get in the door, emotional intelligence and the “soft skills” differentiate good leaders.
The Power of Introverts: TED Talk
Susan Cain, a self-labeled introvert, tells her story and invites us to leverage the power of introverted people in organizations and teams. Not only do they often have great ideas which can contribute to the teams’ success, but they also have become increasingly more communicable through digital media such as blogs and podcasts. A great TED Talk and well worth listening to.
What is psychological capital? Article
The author highlights four pillars of psychological capital: hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. These predictors determine the amount of psychological strain or effort a person can withstand. These skills can be built and fostered through trust. Humans can withstand more psycholigcal demands when they have a team to endure the suffering with- think about a group of first-year finance professionals working 80-100 hour weeks- they get through it by chatting with their colleagues, planning lunch and dinner meals, and sharing in each other’s misery. Positive support and conversation has an incredible power to aid another person’s challenge.
How to develop confidence while speaking- Article
Public speaking- some people claim it is their biggest fear, and become physically ill to the point of nausea or worse. What is it about speaking in front of a group of strangers that is so daunting? This article discusses some strategies to overcome that fear and embrace opportunities to speak in front of audiences. One thing I always remember is: you are rarly as important as the topic. Even if you think you are the center of attention because you are the only person speaking remember the topic at hand is more important. Focus on delivering the message.
What you don’t know about making decisions. – Article
This HBR article from 2001 sets a great foundation for the importance of decision making. Leaders most important task is making decisions. The biggest the decision the more important the leader’s performance. The article provides a framework for fostering productive conflict and establishing a collaborative and open work environment that welcomes criticism but does not tear down others’ ideas.
HBR: Level 5 Leaders – Article
A classic on leadership and the need of an organization to have an effective CEO or leader. Level 5 leadersn have humility, will, ferocious resolve, and the tendency to give credit to others while assigning blame to themselves.
The agenda – Grassroots leadership- Link
A great story on the USS Benfold, a Navy Destroyer which implemented a progressive leadership and collaboration model before winning awards for being the most battle-ready ship in the Navy. While you might think of the Navy as a structured and top-down leadership system, this crew of 300 had autonomy to make decisions and give feedback whenever they felt compelled, without the fear of consequences, resulting in greater effectiveness.
A critique of service learning projects in management education. Journal of Business Ethics. Jan 1996, V 15, p. 133.
This critique discusses 9 service learning projects and offers constructive ways to improve them. It isn’t as simple as you might think.
Kyle Huber 