Undercover CEO

Interested in knowing what your employees really think? Are your core messages being communicated at all levels in your organization? Learn how one CEO went undercover to find out more about his employees and even his company then he could have ever imagined.

Preparing for the big interview

The Pre-Interview Checklist
Copies of your resume and cover letter: Check
Conducted research on the company: Check
Read and reread the job description: Check
Address and directions printed out: Check
Letter of recommendation just in case they ask: Check
Questions you have prepared for the interviewer: Check
Reasons the company should hire you planned out: Check
Clothing pressed and looking good: Check
High level of self-awareness: ???
Solid understanding of your leadership style: ???

Today companies want to know more about a candidate, especially at the senior level, then what they can find on your resume or background check. They're looking at more then your experience, they're paying special attention to the "soft skills."

"Today, the more senior the position, the more crucial "soft skills" are. Thus, there will be a high degree of probing throughout the evaluation process to gauge your emotional intelligence and social styles -- characteristics that help distinguish a good manager from a true leader," says Tierney Remick in an article from the Wall Street Journal.

If asked about how your leadership style has positively impacted your past organizations, what would you say?

What is your "leadership style?"

What is your greatest strength as a leader....not a manager?

Do you understand how your Emotional Intelligence can show through in an interview?

Do you even know what Emotional Intelligence is?

If you cannot answer all of the questions, right away, without pausing to think then maybe you should consider preparing for that big interview with a professional. Someone who can help you identify and clearly communicate your leadership style, your greatest strengths as a leader, and how your soft skills can distinguish you from everyone else.

We are not only experts in leadership and emotional intelligence, but we help many companies create the same behavioral interview techniques and questions that you will be faced with in your interview. If you really want the job and you're willing to go the extra mile to ensure you get it, we can help. Contact us to find out how!

What kind of leader are you?

A recent article from the Financial Times online discusses the end results of those leaders who lead based on intense fear while focusing only on bottom line results vs. those leaders who listen and encourage 2-way communication with their staff as a way to positively impact the bottom line.

Before reading the article, I would encourage you to be honest and think about the leader your staff sees day in and day out? Are you leading in a way that will generate short term success only to watch the success slowly fade away over time? Are you a leader who listens to your employees, encourages feedback, and understands the need to adapt your style and pull your foot off the gas from time to time? Need help identifying how best to lead your team or your organization into the next level of sustained, long term success?

Give us a call to see how we can help!

John Madden and Leadership

BOOM! For all the football fans out there, you probably recognize this 'expression' right away as a staple of John Madden's commentary for the NFL. John Madden was a successful head coach, arguably the most recognized announcer of all times, and even bares the name of the most successful sports video game of all time. Interested in learning what John Madden can teach you about leadership? Check out this article from Harvard Business Publishing.

Communication and Influence...More then just the words!

Great leaders use communication as a way to motivate and influence people. As Bill Clinton said in the article, "The Art of Oratory" -


"You measure the impact of your words, not on the beauty or the emotion of the moment but on whether you change the way people not only think, but the way they feel."

Great leaders understand that the actual words they speak are not nearly as important as the tone they use to deliver the message, the rate at which they speak and/or their body language. Great communicators take their audience on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, highs and lows, and twists and turns to influence not only how they think, but most importantly how they feel.

Need help becoming a more influential and dynamic speaker? Contact us to see how we can help you.

"Investing in training SAVES money"

Check out the article, "Training your way out of the recession," conducted by researchers from the Cranfield School of Management. The full findings will be published tomorrow, but I thought I would provide a few of the highlights.

Effective training can reduce staff turnover and absenteeism, improve motivation, increase productivity, and help boost customer satisfaction.

Three quarters of the 1,189 companies involved in the study felt that training their own staff was more beneficial to their business than recruiting people from outside.

Organizations must focus on nurturing talent if they are to survive, grow and succeed. The continuous development and growth of people is inextricably linked to business performance.

Half the companies discovered that training staff made them more likely to stay.

The full study will be out tomorrow so be sure to look for it.

Cornerpiece Consulting

Losing money on Leadership

I just read an interesting article on the Financial Times web site entitled, "Rise of a Headhunter." The article is about a man named Kevin Kelly who is the head of a large executive search firm. In the article, Mr. Kelly talks about a study conducted in his office that was based off of 20,000 executive searches. Mr. Kelly goes on to say, "We’ve found that 40 percent of executives hired at the senior level are pushed out, fail or quit within 18 months. It’s expensive in terms of lost revenue. It’s expensive in terms of the individual’s hiring. It’s damaging to morale."

40%! That is a huge number and an even higher dollar amount. The direct and indirect costs of turnover are often estimated to equal roughly three times the salary of the actual position. This number increases the higher up the corporate ladder you climb. In today's world and economy where budgets are tight and spending is being cut, companies cannot afford the added expense of hiring a new employee only to have him/her leave or under perform and be forced to leave within the first 18 months. Companies can greatly reduce this number and select and retain top talent if they remember a few simple rules.

1. You need to know more about the person then what his/her resume says or what you can find out in an interview. - How do you do this? Benchmark the position so you know exactly who and what you are looking for. Then assess each candidate against your benchmark to ensure you are selecting the person who brings the right behaviors, values, and skills to not only the position, but to the company as a whole.
2. Provide training and coaching. - Review the employee's assessment and identify any development opportunities. Make sure the new employee understands what leadership looks like in your company. Provide a solid foundation for the employee to begin with and your chances that he/she will succeed will naturally increase. One-on-one coaching is also a great way to invest in the long term growth and retention of any new employee.
3. Remember, you're not an island. - You and your company need to be experts in your industry and constantly monitor the needs of your customers. You don't need to keep up-to-date on the latest assessments or selection methods. Your top leadership and HR team does not always have the time to provide the required training and coaching for every new employee. Hire an expert who can save you time and money and focus your time and energy on your business and your customers.