More people are becoming interested in their personal brand, and for good reason – it’s the foundation of a sustainable career. If having a personal brand is an idea…

A strong business is built on a healthy social network within it, which is all about employee engagement. This is the first of a three-part series on social networks and how they impact our abilities to navigate and succeed at work. For this topic, we are going to talk about establishing trust – especially among influencers who can help impact your career. So where, then, does it all begin?

I have some surprising advice for Type A’s clamoring for executive coaching wisdom: It’s not always in your best interest to please the boss. “Huh?” you say. A happy…

Conflict between managers and employees is a natural part of nearly every work environment. It can even be a sign of good things, like idea sharing, constructive criticism, or…

Has this ever happened to you?

You’ve been assigned a project, maybe a key presentation, and your colleague is tasked with helping you collect important information or even do the research. As the project gets closer to the due date, you notice that your colleague is behind on the critical data necessary for you to complete and present the work. Any efforts to move forward or make progress are blocked by a colleague who stalls at every opportunity to connect with you. On the day of the presentation, he offers to finish the key slides for you (how helpful) and then manages to present the material himself.

For many people, leadership seems to be that one skill that you either have or you don’t. And those same people struggle with believing that they just “don’t” have it. It’s simply not true. While truly astounding leaders seem to have a gift for taking charge and getting it right every time, there’s plenty that aspiring leaders can learn while they work their way up to astounding. Here are some of my favorite books on developing your skills, particularly decision-making and negotiation – two very important leadership traits that can most certainly be learned.

1. Winning Decisions, by J. Edward Russo and Paul J. H. Schoemaker

If you want to get your next big decision right the first time, you might want to pick up this book. The book provides insights into reframing issues to get to the heart of the problem, improving your leadership development, decision-making options, and converting conflicting opinions into helpful information. It’s filled with worksheets, tools, questionnaires, case studies and anecdotes on the decision-making process from organizations like British Airways, NASA, Shell Oil and Pepsi.

Positive change requires effort, and you’re no stranger to hard work, but the effort it takes to induce change in those only slightly above you in the company hierarchy…

In many instances, successful employee engagement and collaboration among colleagues can mean the difference between making or missing a deadline, sticking to a budget, or just simply getting the…

Recently, I ran into a woman at a cocktail party. She was smart, articulate and successful, but above all she was confident. It didn’t take long, however, for her…