A rare breed of leader is required when environments are permeated with distrust, tension and volatility. The good news is that many emerging and experienced leaders have the ability to meet the demands; it’s a choice to look inward with courage to heal past traumas, embrace vulnerability as a source of strength, lead with genuine compassion for all stakeholders, and light the way toward a better future.

There’s a lot of talk in business today about the importance of demonstrating leadership at every level. Yet, many organizations still play it safe, earmarking far more leadership development opportunities for designated “high potentials.”  This strategy might seem efficient, but if you want your team to win a race, wouldn’t you want every runner to have a shot at being first?

This was a realization I came to many years ago. I’d just accepted the position of dean at Washington State University, and it wasn’t long before I felt overwhelmed. On day one, I realized we were in trouble with issues ranging from disengaged alumni and financial troubles to the dire threat of losing our AACSB accreditation. My new team presented me with a report detailing not one, not two, but twenty-six critical areas needing immediate attention to save our accreditation.

More than ever, today’s employees long for purpose, a sense of belonging, and opportunities to grow. This means workers are ready to roll up their sleeves and make things happen. And yet according to the American Psychological Association’s recent survey, employee happiness is down while burnout remains high. In fact, the survey found that 77% of U.S. workers said they experienced work-related stress, while more than half said the negative impact of stress was driving them close to burnout.

There aren't enough hours in the day. No one is answering the phone. The dog ate my homework. Excuses abound when deadlines are tight. Life happens, and things come up. But in order to meet targets and goals, businesses have to find a way to persevere especially when it comes to sales. Luckily, there are strategies that sales teams can follow to avoid common problems and eliminate excuses altogether. Three seasoned sales experts share their tried-and-true tactics.

In this fast-paced, on-demand world we live in, the ability to communicate well with one’s clients has become a critical skill that cannot be overlooked. The world as we know it has become significantly different than in days gone by. Clients want to know that they are receiving the best from everyone they are dealing with, and they do not want to be surprised.

Sales leaders are the lever for a high-performing sales organization. One study cited in the Harvard Business Review found that 69% of sales reps who exceeded quota rated their managers highly. The same study showed that just 3% of reps who gave their leaders low ratings then turned around and gave their organization a high rating. In other words, how a rep views their leader is how they view the organization.

Social media has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we communicate and connect with others. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become integral parts of our daily lives, allowing us to share thoughts, experiences, and emotions with just a few taps on our screens. However, this digital transformation has also had a significant impact on language and communication. In this blog post, we will explore the various ways in which social media has influenced our language and communication patterns.

The year 2023 was the coming out party for artificial intelligence (AI), and it was a raucous celebration, from the historic popularity of ChatGPT to the enormous investments in AI-related companies. While its real-world impact is still being determined, one thing is sure: We’ve entered a new era of technological advancement, and these solutions are here to stay.

Everyone experiences unexpected hardships. You can bounce back and learn from them with an important soft skill: resilience. The more mentally resilient you are, the more quickly you can recover from challenges or persist in the face of them, according to Wharton psychologist Adam Grant. The trait helps you take smarter risks, beat burnout at work and live a happier life.

Most of us were taught to measure success by ticking off boxes on a to-do list or hitting predetermined milestones. It’s easy to fall into the trap of what is called the Performance Mindset. We’re inundated with the notion that setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals and striving for peak performance is the golden ticket to success. This is the familiar way each of us evaluates whether we’re “doing a good job” in every aspect of life, whether it’s work, health, or even parenting.

As I work with sales organizations across the world, I am frequently asked if the inbound sales philosophy works in an industry defined by a transactional sales process. Many salespeople find it difficult to overcome price objections, especially when their sales process is short and their product isn’t highly differentiated. However, an increasing number of salespeople are using the inbound sales philosophy in transactional industries with good results.

Selling often means speaking to people who've never heard of you. You might think of them as "cold leads," which is a bit impersonal. After all, they might very well become your best customers — in time. The problem is credibility. Without it, customers won't be receptive to your sales pitch. You can't blame their cynicism, either — the perils of overpromising in sales are well-known, even among the public.

It’s no secret that the business world runs on leads, opportunities, and sales. But sales managers, sales reps and support staff now have AI-powered CRM tools to do a lot of the heavy lifting. With so much rich information at our fingertips, businesses can confidently look to the future more accurately than ever before, confidently projecting future financial activity.

If there's one thing John Imah has learned from his decade-long career helping tech giants like Samsung, Twitch, Meta, and Snap, with business development and marketing, it's how to tell--or rather, sell--a story. "Whether it's an anecdote that humanizes the technology or a statistic that captures the market opportunity," says the serial entrepreneur, "the goal [of sales] is to leave the room with the audience not just understanding but believing in the vision.

With more baby boomers putting off retirement, the share of older adults in the workplace is greater than it’s ever been. Indeed, workers aged 75 and older are the fastest-growing age group in the workforce. But the biggest news is this: We’re experiencing the widest-ever age gap at the office, with workers ranging from 22 to 75 years old. Four different generations are in the office together at the same time—baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Yers.

In our fast-paced and volatile environment, every leader is now a change leader. The time when leaders could operate in isolation, focusing on the day-to-day without acknowledging the rapid pace of change, has long passed. Whether you're at the helm of a Fortune 500 company, a mid-level manager or an emerging entrepreneur, your role as a catalyst for change is more critical than ever before. But what makes a great change leader?

In order to achieve a healthy and productive workforce you need trust. Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup, called it, “the foundational element of high-performing organizations.” When he took the helm at Campbell’s, Conant made “Inspiring Trust” his first mission in turning around the company’s performance, which eventually led to shareholder returns in the top tier of the global food market and among the highest levels of employee engagement in the Fortune 500.

Mentors often impact their mentee’s career in a life-changing way. Because of this profound influence, they have a responsibility to embody certain characteristics and behaviors. How do they excel in mentoring leadership?
And what steps can they follow to ensure a successful relationship?

Customer service organisations today are fighting an uphill battle. Service agents face record case volumes, and customers are frustrated by growing wait times. Often, to manage the case load, agents will simultaneously work on multiple customers’ issues at once while waiting for data from legacy systems to load.