Leadership

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Leadership Strategies: Can Emotional Intelligence Be Learned?

By Sylvia Lafair | May 30, 2018 | Comments Off on Leadership Strategies: Can Emotional Intelligence Be Learned?

How do we learn emotional intelligence? Can we change our basic nature just by willing it to happen? Here is my response to one of my clients who was so sick and tired of feeling like a bully boss and not sure what to do. Let me know your thoughts too. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I…

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3 Habits of Naive Leaders

By Sylvia Lafair | May 24, 2018 | Comments Off on 3 Habits of Naive Leaders

Stupid leaders are a dime a dozen. What they do looks the same through the centuries. Here’s what Cicero, Roman politician and lawyer who served as consul in 63 BC had to say, “Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.” Habit #1: Repetition. You know the saying that if you…

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These are the Best and Worst Things About Success

By Sylvia Lafair | May 21, 2018 | Comments Off on These are the Best and Worst Things About Success

Let’s start with a short quiz: What’s the best thing about workplace success? A. You get more money. B. You get more recognition. C. You get more work. If you answered “A,” you are on the right track. Workplace success usually translates to earning more money. If you’re like most people, you want a financial…

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Being Pushy is Good For You, Here’s Why…

By Sylvia Lafair | May 10, 2018 | Comments Off on Being Pushy is Good For You, Here’s Why…

What if you’ve gone too far in your comments about someone? What if you’ve been called out for being excessive in challenging others in a meeting? What if you have been shunned after you mocked a colleague? Our world of extremes is starting to backfire. Don’t get caught in the tidal wave of seeing how…

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How to Ease Conflict by Knowing the Difference Between Facts and Emotions

By Sylvia Lafair | May 7, 2018 | Comments Off on How to Ease Conflict by Knowing the Difference Between Facts and Emotions

Facts are married to emotion. As a leader, it’s your job to ask the right questions that lead to what the key issues are. The natural tendency for most people is to deflect the real reasons for hurt and feeling discounted. It’s the emotions that will resolve the conflict, not just the facts. Here’s what happens in…

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How Women Can Change The Way Men Think

By Sylvia Lafair | April 30, 2018 | Comments Off on How Women Can Change The Way Men Think

Oprah just had a Wonder Woman-themed party for 28 ten-year old girls. It came with all the glitz and glitter associated with the recent blockbuster film that is causing all the buzz these days. There was a cake, indestructible bracelets, even flip flops to wear when fighting evil. Wonder Woman has been around since 1941,…

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4 Ways You Can Check Your Competency

By Sylvia Lafair | April 26, 2018 | Comments Off on 4 Ways You Can Check Your Competency

Did you know that at least 80% of business leaders think they have above-average abilities? Most score themselves higher than their peers or direct reports do on feedback questionnaires. That leads to one of the biggest issues in today’s business climate. The tendency is to focus on strength-based perspectives and put weaknesses on the back…

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Leadership Lessons from Top Leaders

By Sylvia Lafair | April 19, 2018 | Comments Off on Leadership Lessons from Top Leaders

As children, we look at our parents and teachers to understand life. Sometimes the advice we get is really good. Other times, we must do a full turn around and get on another, more positive path. Learning from the best and following in their footsteps, is another vastly productive way of moving from good to…

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How to effectively deepen your conversation skills

By Sylvia Lafair | April 17, 2018 | Comments Off on How to effectively deepen your conversation skills

Let’s chat here a bit about why as a leader it’s important for you to deepen your conversation skills… When you walk away, hang up the phone, close your email trail, or shut down the texting after a discussion with a colleague take a moment and think about what kind of conversation you just had.…

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How Successful Leaders can Build Better Self-Awareness

By Sylvia Lafair | April 12, 2018 |

Summary: In today’s hectic world, taking the time to ask yourself, “Who am I?” and even more so, “Who am I in relationship to those around me?” often gets put on the “do it tomorrow” short list. Become more self-aware to make a difference. Remember, everything you say and do, can affect those around you.…

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