Think Before You Kick
Unless you deliberately don’t watch TV, don’t look at the news online, and eschew all social media of any kind, then you’ll find it’s hard to avoid the controversy that the professional football player Harrison Butker kicked off last week with his commencement address at Benedictine College. In a nutshell, he cited his religious beliefs to attack the President, the medical community’s response...
The Business Case for Respect Is Not Enough
Assuming that members of the C-Suite won’t make a move in any direction without a compelling business case for action, I’ve been working for decades to find and present data that convinces leaders that respect and Respectful Leadership™ really do make a powerful, positive difference in what I call the “3 P’s” – partnership, productivity, and performance. At the Center for Respectful...
20 Consequences Of Promoting Leaders Who Lack People Skills
Gregg Ward was featured as a contributor to this Forbes Coaches Council article, read the full article on forbes.com. When someone rises to a leadership position, they are often expected to have both technical expertise and the ability to think strategically. However, what happens when an individual becomes a leader without demonstrating essential people skills? A leader who lacks soft skills...
Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Workplace Culture and Election Politics
Greetings, distinguished HR executives and leaders! It’s a pleasure to connect with you. I’m Gregg Ward, steering the ship at the Center for Respectful Leadership. Today, I’d like to draw your attention to a significant issue at hand — the 2024 elections casting a long shadow over the workplace. First, let me introduce our center, founded half a decade ago. Our mission: to...How To Create Psychological Safety And Inspire High-Performing Teams
Gregg Ward was featured as a contributor to this Forbes Coaches Council article, read the full article on forbes.com. In psychologically safe work environments, every team member feels confident sharing candid constructive feedback, voicing disagreements and taking ownership of their mistakes. Employees who feel they may face negative consequences for speaking up, on the other hand, will take...
The Leadership Link Between Courage & Respect
In the nuanced tapestry of leadership, the threads of respect and courage are intricately woven together, each amplifying the strength and effectiveness of the other. Leadership, at its core, is not just about making decisions and directing teams toward common goals; it’s about doing so in a way that fosters trust, encourages innovation, and builds a resilient organizational culture....
18 Effective Ways For Companies To Retain Their Top Talent
This article was originally featured on Forbes.com on February 14, 2024. You can read the full article here. Retaining top talent remains a crucial challenge for companies looking for sustained success in the year ahead. To meet the needs of the market, their customers and their workforce, organizations need to adopt innovative approaches that not only attract, but also help retain their most...
What We’re About to Experience
To say that what is happening politically and socially in the US right now is unprecedented would be a gross understatement. Established and reputable research organizations are signaling, as Pew Research does here, that America’s national politicians and those who are deep into domestic and foreign policy are extraordinarily polarized. Unsurprisingly, we’re seeing this reflected in...
Lead with Empathy
Recently, a coaching client who is a senior manager in a professional services firm – I’ll call her “Sally” – asked for my guidance on conducting performance meetings with her staff. She’d been tasked by her leadership to introduce and hold her team accountable to new non-negotiable goals, expectations, and metrics, some of which had never been used by the company before. Although...