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A Case Study in Taking on Risky Efforts (How GE Launched Ecomagination)
In 2003, GE faced public backlash as a “Global Enemy,” but through the bold leadership of Beth Comstock and Jeff Immelt, the company transformed into a proponent of “Green Energy” via the “Ecomagination” initiative, emphasizing ecological and economic benefits while fostering stakeholder engagement and accountability.
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Go from “You” to “Us” with Trust
Organizations thrive on trust and cooperation, yet many teams struggle to find common ground; fostering understanding through active listening and intentional communication about interests can help build these essential bonds and navigate differing perspectives effectively.
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Get Big Things Done with Remote Teams
Remote teams can be as effective as in-office ones when managed well, offering unique benefits that include improved communication, trust, and agility, but require intentional strategies to overcome physical, operational, and affinity distances.
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The 4 Benefits of Remote Teams
Despite misconceptions about virtual teams’ productivity, effective management can bridge interpersonal gaps through improved communication, reduced inefficiencies, and a focus on trust-building, ultimately enabling organizations to hire top talent while minimizing biases.
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Get the Most Out of Your New Team
Ecosystems, like teams, are sensitive to change; new leaders must strategically manage roles and relationships to ensure balance, reengage disappointed team members, and recalibrate dynamics to effectively guide their teams toward shared goals.
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Apply the Right Strategy
In a video lesson, Professor Michael Watkins emphasizes that new leaders should take time to understand an organization’s culture and needs before implementing changes, as moving too quickly can lead to rejection and resistance from employees.
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Speed Up the Learning Process
In this video lesson, Professor Michael Watkins emphasizes the importance of understanding organizational culture and politics through observation and inquiry, advising new employees to ask questions, conduct interviews, and seek external insights to adapt quickly to their new roles.
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Create Early Momentum
In this video lesson, Professor Michael Watkins emphasizes the importance of securing early wins in a new leadership role to build a positive reputation and momentum, while also considering the organization’s culture and goals to ensure effective execution.
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Transitioning Into a Leadership Role
To thrive in a new leadership role, Michael Watkins advises understanding the organization’s culture and assessing its needs, which will help you adapt your leadership style and gain support from superiors and team members.
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Build Trust with Stakeholders
In a lesson on building trust, Ian Bremmer emphasizes the importance of fully engaging in conversations by eliminating distractions like cell phones, drawing parallels to how Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev fostered cooperation through mutual respect and shared humanity.
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Become a Subject Matter Expert
Ian Bremmer emphasizes that true expertise combines deep knowledge with effective communication, relationship-building, and authenticity, urging professionals to prioritize content and passion in their work while remaining persistent in their pursuit of success.
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Thinking Strategically
Ian Bremmer advocates for strategic thinking in a rapidly changing world by broadening perspectives, engaging with diverse viewpoints, and understanding root causes, while also stressing the need for personal authenticity and connection to effectively tackle global challenges.
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Transform Your Team with a Daily Huddle
To transform daily meetings from time-wasters into sources of inspiration and team unity, restaurateur Will Guidara suggests focusing on creativity, prioritizing meaningful discussions, and varying topics to enhance engagement and productivity.
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Engage to Transform
Engaging stakeholders through two-way dialogue is crucial for effective leadership, as demonstrated by a CEO who used Twitter for public interaction, highlighting transparency while also necessitating careful planning to avoid potential PR pitfalls.
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Share to Shape
Broadcasting information often neglects audience needs, while effective sharing involves listening and aligning with common goals, as demonstrated by Cisco leaders who use technology to foster relationships and communicate authentically.
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Listen at Scale
Charlene Li emphasizes the importance of strategically using social media and big data to listen to key audiences in real-time, while also cautioning against the risks of overwhelming information, and suggests focusing on trusted filters to enhance communication and innovation.
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Unify Employee Affinity Groups
Kenji Yoshino discusses Robert Putnam’s bonding and bridging capital, emphasizing that while bonding capital unites individuals within groups, bridging capital fosters connections across diverse groups, advocating for combined bonding and bridging activities to prevent isolation in organizations.
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Accept the Symbolic Role of Leadership
Kenji Yoshino’s research highlights that covering demands from leaders significantly diminish employee commitment and engagement, emphasizing the need for leaders to actively support diversity initiatives to fully harness their workforce’s talents.
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Take Stock of Your Emotional Bank Accounts
Healthy relationships rely on mutual trust and goodwill, akin to an emotional bank account where genuine acts of kindness build deposits, while emotional withdrawals can create imbalance; thus, consistent, sincere interactions are essential for maintaining and repairing these connections over time.
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Three Channels for Building Team Trust
Brent Gleeson emphasizes that trust is essential for team success, advocating for trustworthy leadership, transparent communication, and authentic empowerment to build a strong organizational culture that compensates for individual weaknesses and fosters collaboration.
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Foster a Team-First Mindset
In his video lesson, CEO Brent Gleeson emphasizes that fostering a cohesive team mindset, driven by leaders, is essential for overcoming individualistic incentives and achieving shared goals through collaboration, trust, and a collective sense of purpose.
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Inflection Points to Watch for Economic Paradigm Shifts
Paradigm shifts, like those introduced by Copernicus, Newton, and Darwin, also affect economies, with innovation consultant Rita McGrath highlighting the rise of stakeholder capitalism and consumer protection concerns, urging businesses to adapt to these emerging signals for long-term success.
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Build Trust to Make the Impossible Possible
To build trust in relationships, engage in open conversations about expectations and fears, recognize personal narratives that may lead to mistrust, and consciously shift from negative “rut stories” to positive “river stories” that foster understanding and growth.
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Three Types of Questions for Helping People Do Amazing Things Together
Relational intelligence hinges on using and interpreting various question types—shadow, open, and bridging questions—to foster connections and understanding, while leaders should cultivate self-awareness and recognize the unique inquiry styles of their team members to enhance collaboration and value.
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How to Connect with Anyone
Politeness and pushiness are simple, but recognizing diverse communication styles—termed “relational intelligence” by Angie McArthur, CEO of Professional Thinking Partners—is challenging yet essential for reducing misunderstandings in the workplace.
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Build Trusting Teams
A strong company culture is built on trust, where empathy and vulnerability foster a safe environment for employees to admit mistakes, seek help, and learn together, ultimately enhancing organizational strength and collaboration.