A few years ago, author Connie Cass cited an Associated Press poll showing that nearly two-thirds of the Americans in their sample had low trust in others – compared to only one-third in a similar poll forty years earlier. It’s easy to blame this on increasing urbanization, on the media’s “if it bleeds, it leads” approach to informing us about the world, on greater use of the internet with fewer face-to-face social interactions, or perhaps the increasing rancor of our politics has “tribalized” our society and set us against one another.

by B. Kim Barnes
Reprinted from a LinkedIn article from February 28, 2022

As I watch, spellbound, the drama unfolding in Ukraine, I see everything I’ve ever learned or taught about inspirational leadership being demonstrated on the streets of Kiev. Volodymyr Zelensky, comedian turned political leader, has manifested every aspect of the model at right [1] – and in doing so, has influenced world leaders to take unprecedented actions to support him and his people. In recent years, we have seen political leaders provide poor examples – showing a lack of courage, self-awareness, constancy, empathy, and generosity of spirit, among other qualities. It’s hard to know what the outcome of this situation will be, but he has provided us with an inspiring example of how to lead under the most challenging of circumstances.

Inspirational leadership like that shown by Zelensky can, as we have seen in the followers of that leader, turn fear into determination, weakness into strength, confusion into steadfast commitment. We needed this example to show us what’s possible. I am grateful and in awe.

[1] From Inspirational Leadership, a copyrighted program of Barnes & Conti Associates, Inc.

By Nermin Soyalp, Ph.D.

Two years into the pandemic, engagement surveys—unsurprisingly—report low morale and decreased engagement for many organizations. Organizations have been inviting employees back to their offices. However, with Covid19 surges and employees enjoying working at home, many balk at idea returning to the office full-time. Working remotely is here to stay, and managers face the challenge of creating and supporting an engaged remote work environment.

This article focuses on engagement: what it is, how it works, and the leader’s role in increasing and maintaining employee engagement, especially when leading remotely. Barnes & Conti has redoubled our long-standing commitment of supporting organizations, their leaders, and team members to develop and maintain engaged remote workplaces. This article will identify what contributes to high engagement and how we can create processes to address obstacles to engagement…

By B. Kim Barnes, Barnes & Conti CEO Life would be so much easier for leaders, managers, parents, friends, politicians, if only human beings behaved in predictable ways based on facts, logic, rational thought processes, or even fulfillment of practical …

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Much has been written about millennials in the workplace, and “generational tension” or “generational issues.” Here’s an article that suggests that while different generations are indeed different, the key to managing any kind of tension that arises is to make …

Article: Managing Generational Tension Read more »