FieldNotes
Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
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For a Limited Time Only
The idea of providing a service, offering a product, or giving people access to a program for a limited time period has been a mainstay of marketing for over a century. Since the 1950s, advertisers have created limited-edition and limited-time campaigns to stimulate demand in food, beverages, household goods, and mail-order catalogs. And they work.
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Mastering the Skill of Making the Complex Simple
Quantum computing is predicted to change the world as much, if not more, than artificial intelligence. But the concept of quantum computing (what it is and how it works) is extremely complex and difficult to grasp for many people. Let’s use it to show how the best leaders make the complex simple…
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The Triangle of Critique
In the library of approaches to help people improve, critique plays a unique role. Whereas criticism typically points out flaws in performance and how to correct them, and feedback provides information to guide learning and improvement that can be accepted or rejected, the purpose of critique is different.
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Knowing When It’s Time to Quit
Contrary to popular wisdom, walking away from an unattainable goal is not a failure but a crucial leadership skill for organizational effectiveness. Successful leaders recognize that walking away from a commitment that no longer serves their goals is a strong call, not a weak one. What creates the confusion is the difference between reactive quitting and strategic quitting. These
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The Undervalued Leadership Skill of Self-Editing
Team members who propose a new approach or originate an innovative idea or program deserve high credit and a chance to showcase their proposal. But unfortunately, in many cases, they lack the skills, experience, or talent to execute on their own idea.
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The Delicate Task of Assigning a Team Member’s Idea to Someone Else
Team members who propose a new approach or originate an innovative idea or program deserve high credit and a chance to showcase their proposal. But unfortunately, in many cases, they lack the skills, experience, or talent to execute on their own idea.
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Take Projects Apart to Develop Delegation Skills
Learning to delegate is hard for even the best leaders, but especially for those who hold high standards and prefer to exert control over everything important. Fearing standards will drop if they don’t have direct oversight of a project or task, leaders often take the helm even when the best choice would be to delegate.
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Leaders Who Overemphasize Compensation Create Mercenaries
Compensation is the most direct expression of value in the workplace. Beyond providing for basic needs, compensation is the most visible sign of how much an organization values an individual’s time, skills, and contributions. It communicates forcefully what work and behavior an organization truly rewards and prioritizes. But in the eyes of leaders and team members, compensation
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Great Leadership Development Plans Share Four Ingredients
As leaders — and those who support them — think about designing a personal development plan to improve their leadership, several best practices stand out. What makes for a great plan, one that, if executed with enthusiasm, will really move the needle, is generally not well-known. Many plans rely too heavily on assessment and not…
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Loyalty Is a Consequence of Leadership
Loyalty Is a Consequence of Leadership