Leadership Training

Today I’m introducing a new regular segment here at Leadership Training Skills; that being a recommended book list. Continuing to learn throughout your career by reading business and life skills books is essential to long term growth, in my opinion. So on occasion, I’ll be passing onto you some of the books I’ve enjoyed and gained insight from throughout the years (NOTE: I am not being paid or endorsed for my recommendations).

To get things started, we might as well begin with one of the best, which is Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends & Influence People”.

Despite the fact that Mr. Carnegie published this book nearly 70 years ago, his lessons and parables still ring true today just as much as they did back then. Perhaps even more so! Mainly because the book focuses not on how to improve yourself (like most self help books), but rather, how to improve the way you interact with other people.

The book is broken down into the following basic sections:

* THREE FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE

* THE NINE WAYS TO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT AROUSING RESENTMENT

It’s a great read, and essential to anyone who wants to connect with other people in the most effective and influential ways possible.

Book List, Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends & Influence People

Surprising economic news came out this week: the U.S. Commerce Department reported that home sales surged 16% in April. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 981,000 home sales far exceeded the 865,000 home pace that had been expected.

While the buying binge was prompted by a sharp decrease in the average home price (10.9%), this still means good news for the economy. Meaning good news for those looking for new jobs and/or opportunities to finally purchase that dream house!

Housing data, U.S. Economy, CBS MarketWatch

As we’ve said before in this blog, the interview is a two-way street. As a prospective candidate, asking questions that are just as sharp as the ones asked of you can show an employer just how interested you really are in their company.

Kate Lorenz, Editor of CareerBuilder.com, has put together a list of 10 Questions to Dazzle Would-Be Employers. Among them:

“Are continuing education and professional training stressed?”

“Why did you choose this company?”

Just make sure you don’t get too carried away, and ask more questions that the interviewer!

interview, questions, interviewing, CareerBuilder

As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  A recent poll conducted by Robert Half Finance and Accounting demonstrates just how important it is for interview candidates to make sure their first impression is an excellent one.

According to a group of corporate executives they talked with, most said they form an opinion about hiring a candidate within 10 minutes, despite spending nearly an hour in the actual interview.

So how does a candidate ensure they’re making that positive first impression?  One of the suggestions given by Julie Jansen, career coach and author of “You Want Me to Work with Who?”, is to Ask someone close to you to assess you for body language, appearance and overall demeanor.

Another recommendation given by career expert Marty Nemko, author of “Cool Careers for Dummies.”, is to dress the way the boss or interviewer would dress. “Any dressier makes you look like you’re trying too hard or are out of sync with that workplace’s culture.  To find out what the boss wears, simply ask the person who contacted you to schedule your interview.”

Personally, I think this should be interpreted as finding out what the preferred dress code is.  I think that’s fine, but you don’t want to dress EXACTLY like your potential boss.  They should want you for who you are, not because you bear a striking resemblance to Mini-Me…

Want a simple, straightforward recommendation for your next big interview?  Don’t forget to smile!  According to David Lewis from Pinnacle Performance, “smiling is a powerful tool that transmits friendliness and warm to your audience.  Therefore, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likeable, friendly, and approachable.”

So show those big pearly whites, and good luck!

interview, first impressions, Robert Half Finance and Accounting, Yahoo! Hot Jobs

When former General Electric CEO Jack Welch was recently asked what students should be learning in business school, he replied, “Just concentrate on networking. Everything else you need to know, you can learn on the job.”

What made this statement awkward was the fact that Mr. Welch was addressing pupils at the MIT Sloan School of Management at the time. I’m sure many audience members didn’t appreciate the notion that their hefty tuition bill was better served buying cocktails for corporate execs…

To MIT’s credit, shortly after that comment (according to Fortune Magazine) they began adding more interpersonal coursework to their program. Other schools appear to be following their lead.

“MBA students we employ don’t need to come in being finance gurus. What’s much more important is that they know how to analyze issues and communicate recommendations,” says Ken Barnet, a vice president at State Street Corporation who works with both B-school interns and freshly minted MBAs.

Source: Fortune Magazine

M.B.A., importance, Fortune Magazine, MIT Sloan, State Street

Whether you’re just graduating college or have several years of corporate experience under your belt, deciding whether or not to get an MBA is a choice that thousands of people make every year.

The options are endless as well; do you go for the brass ring, an MBA degree from Harvard (ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report)? 
Perhaps an online MBA would work better with your busy work schedule?
Or if you’re really looking for instant gratification, rest assured, Donald Trump has you covered!

But does an MBA truly prepare you for the day-to-day challenges that leaders face in the corporate world?  Not really, according to a survey done by Marketwatch last month.  

Andrea Coombes writes that Only 20% of the executives surveyed said that an M.B.A. prepares people to deal with the real-life challenges that a manager must face, according to the survey of 133 top executives at firms in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany by Egon Zehnder International, an executive search firm.  Ironically, 40% of those executives have an M.B.A. themselves.

The message, according to George Davis, a U.S. co-managing partner with Egon Zehnder International, is that “M.B.A.s are valued highly, but it’s not the panacea. Get real work. Get real expertise,” Davis said. “Make sure you have a functional skill set.”

If you have any thoughts on the value of an M.B.A. in today’s business world, please share your thoughts below in the comments. It’s certainly a hot topic that we’re sure to discuss here more than once!

M.B.A., importance, Marketwatch, U.S. News and World Report

This weekend, there was an excellent article written by Penelope Trunk of the Brazen Careerist Blog (posted on Boston.com) entitled Being loyal can be a selfish act.

The piece focuses on the many layers of loyalty, and that while companies complain that younger employees don’t stick around, it’s might be because their employer don’t give them a reason to be loyal.

“Loyalty as a function of time is a dated idea,” says Jaerid Rossi, process engineer at Specialty Minerals of Canaan, Conn. “Work is only appealing if there’s constant learning.”

Penelope writes that the key to an employee establishing a true connection with their job is to be part of something that bigger than themselves.

“People are their best when they have obligations not only to themselves, but to other people as well,” says says Bill Taylor, cofounder of the magazine Fast Company and coauthor of the book, ‘Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win.’ “People do their best work when they identify themselves as part of a team or a project.”

Penelope’s blog can be found here.

Loyalty, Brazen Careerist, Boston.com