Are you listening to those you lead?

Last year I served as president of a women’s leadership organization in the furniture industry. During my tenure, I produced a monthly video to help me stay in touch with my more than 500 members. One of my videos ignited conversation in a way I hadn’t expected.

The leadership questionTurns out that some people didn’t like what I had to say. I’m not going to lie. That little voice in my head that’s constantly telling me I’m not good enough (not smart enough… you know the drill) got very loud. But then I took a deep breath. And I realized the ones who didn’t like it were outnumbered. Maybe they saw the video was a feminist rant while others saw it as a starting point for discussing the power of collaboration.

Here’s the thing, it got people talking – to each other, to me, to bosses who thought women’s groups are passé. As a leader, that conversation became a powerful tool for change for the organization – one that allowed us to grow in a new direction.

As a leader (and yes you are one), who and what are you listening to? Are you using that information to sell more stuff, build a better business, become a stronger leader? Leadership isn’t a funnel to pour information into and wait for results to trickle down. Leadership is a verb and a very active one at that.

What we found this week on the web about leadership…

Entrepreneurs need all the criticism they can get

When you run a company, and your products or services don’t meet the market’s needs, the consequences are severe: You don’t get paid. If you don’t fix it fast, your children don’t eat. Most startups get overly friendly feedback from friends, family and business acquaintances, when what they need is tooth and claw. Read more on the fire of criticism.

How to fire your boss

Five career coaches, a corporate consultant, a lawyer and a management professor all agree that it’s very tough for disgruntled workers to oust their superiors. “If you declare war on your boss, 90% of the time you’re going to lose, because your boss has more leverage than you do.” In case you feel compelled to try to be part of the victorious 10%, here are some tips on how to fire your boss.

The happiness advantage

Research shows that positive employees outperform negative employees in terms of sales, energy levels, turnover rates and health-care costs by as much as 30%. In fact, the benefits can be seen across industries and job functions. Optimistic salespeople outperform their pessimistic colleagues by up to 37%. Even medical doctors are three times more creative and 50% more accurate at diagnosing patients when positive. Read more the importance of employee happiness.

What to do if you hate your brand

Loyal customers? Check. A trustworthy team? Check. Solid profit? Check. But something’s nagging at your gut. While everything looks right, it doesn’t feel right. This isn’t what you set out to build. It’s a scary idea–shaking up this thing that looks right and, at its essence, works pretty damn well. But instead of continuing to sit around with a burlap-skivvies level of comfy, you need to move some pieces around, toss others and build something that’s true to you. Read more on taking back control of your brand.

How do you invest in your leadership skills? Drop a comment below or shout out to me on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn – I’d love to continue the conversation with you.