Shortform Books

The Consequences of a Lack of Accountability at Work

Does your team have accountability issues? How can a lack of accountability harm your business in the long run? Not every leader understands nor is willing to hold their people accountable for their actions or lack thereof. As a result, many organizations run into harmful issues which require time, resources, and change to resolve—but to leave them unresolved is to ensure that your company never achieves its full potential. There are three issues that stem from a lack of accountability: employee development, communication, and individual motivation. Learn more about each one below.

A Leader’s Guide to Challenging the Status Quo

Why is it important to challenge the status quo? What can you, as a leader, do to make sure your organization is keeping up with the times and always improving? People in organizations get used to doing things a certain way and are often reluctant to change their habits, defaulting to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. Even if they know a procedure could be better, they’ll often resist changing it simply because it’s easier to carry on as usual. However, challenging the status quo is your job, as a leader. To challenge the status quo, always stay

Leadership and Self-Deception: Quotes and Passages

Looking for quotes from Arbinger Institute’s Leadership and Self-Deception? What can these quotes teach you about leading outside the box? Leadership and Self-Deception is a fable about facing self-deception as a leader and overcoming your distorted views of others. Only when you realize how important it is to treat your employees with respect and understanding can you start to become a great leader. Here are some of the top Leadership and Self-Deception quotes with explanations.

Positive Masculinity: What It Is & How to Tap Into It

What is positive masculinity? How can you embody positive masculine traits? Dr. Robert Glover argues that due to parental relationships and some major societal shifts in the 20th century, some men grew up believing masculinity was inherently bad—but tapping into positive masculinity can lead to improved confidence and self-sufficiency. Here’s what Glover has to say about positive masculinity.

Adopt a Supportive Leadership Style: Ask This Question

How to Embrace Vulnerability in Leadership

What is a supportive leadership style? What difference can it make for your team? Too often, managers control, micromanage, or rescue their employees. In contrast, a supportive leadership style wins your team members’ trust and respect—and it allows them to grow. The Coaching Habit recommends making a habit of asking one particular question. Read more to learn the question at the heart of a supportive leadership style.

Learning From Failure: Lessons From Rocket Science

Do you want to know how to learn from failure? Do you get back up and go again, stronger and wiser than you were before? “Failure is not an option.“ You’ve probably heard that phrase in connection with the Apollo 13 Moon landing mission. That’s the attitude of rocket scientists when lives are at stake. In all other cases, failure is not only an option, it’s a valued learning experience. Read more to understand how to learn from failure.

Kouzes and Posner: The Leadership Challenge

What is Kouzes and Posner’s The Leadership Challenge about? What are the five principles of exemplary leadership? The Leadership Challenge is a field guide for becoming the kind of leader that other people want to follow. International bestselling authors and longtime research partners James Kouzes and Barry Posner have compiled thousands of case studies and millions of responses to surveys over the course of decades and used them to distill leadership into five overall principles. Below is a brief overview of the book.

4 Easy Steps to Improve Your Sales Process

4 Steps to Improve Sales Processes and Revenues

How do you improve the sales process? Why do you need an improved sales process? You can improve sales processes by shortening them, using modern technology, and prioritizing customers. You know you need to improve your sales process when customers start complaining about how long it takes to buy your products and you start getting lower profits for each transaction. Read on to discover the ways to improve sales processes.

How to Connect With Customers and Boost Sales

How do you connect with customers? Why should you avoid disagreements with customers? You connect with customers by agreeing with the customer, no matter what the customer says. This will make the customer feel positively towards you, and ready to interact with you. You should avoid disagreeing with a customer because it will make the customer more entrenched in his position and the customer may lose enthusiasm for doing business with you. Read on to discover how to connect with customers successfully.

A Guide to Developing Effective Negotiation Strategies

What are negotiation strategies? What negotiation skills do you need to land the best deals? Negotiation strategies are the tactics used by parties to a negotiation to secure favorable terms in an agreement. Active listening, empathy, diligence, and information gathering are vital skills in negotiations. Read on to discover winning negotiation strategies you can adopt to become a better deal maker.