What is executive presence? Do you have it? What are the intangibles, the “je ne sais quoi” or X Factors that make the difference between being the person who stands out and commands a room, or who disappears and becomes invisible in the crowd?  How is a person able to inspire confidence and trust of those around him or her, to become a respected…

Are you at risk for burnout? Bain and Company carried out a study in 2010 “Flexible Work Models: How to bring sustainability in a 24/7 world”) which researched 3,300 professional men and women on the adoption and effectiveness of flexible work models. It found that a lack of availability of these  type of programmes, as well as their poor utilization,…

Many people assume that “whistle blowing” is associated with high level governmental and corporate corruption. Images appear in our Hollywood fuelled imaginations of dubious, clandestine meetings held in underground car parks in the dead of night, with individuals wearing Dick Tracy style trench coats and fedoras.>How does someone cope when the organisation they work for…

Indra Nooyi is one of the world’s most successful CEOs heading up PepsiCo and comes in at number 10 on the Forbes Power Women list. She has recently astounded me (and some others) by sharing her involvement with the parents of some of her employees, admitting to writing  to them about the success of their children. At the same time she has…

Political skills and networking. Why women MUST network to advance their careers.

The Glasshammer in a recent post has written about how executive search companies and headhunters serve to exclude women. I read it with interest and the report it was based on  “And then there are none: on the exclusion of women in processes of executive search,” which appeared in Gender in Management: An International Journal in…

During my many years experience as well as time spent as an MBA coach,  I have encountered multiple cases of post- graduation disillusionment, with ex-students going through what I call F.J.S. or First Job Syndrome. Indeed I had it myself back in the day. Emerging from the intellectual hot houses of university or business school with so many like-minded people,  as the promise of corporate…

I have both a lap top and an iPad and I notice that with each acquisition the device gets smaller,  lighter and more portable. I then find myself checking my email and social media platforms more frequently than I did before. Do I have a device addiction? I’m not sure, but perhaps like any other addiction, if I am even pondering the question, then I definitely think I’m in the “at…

You might be surprised,  but the reaction that many people have to networking can be likened to the way they feel about having their legs waxed. 10 things networking and leg waxing have in common The processes are identical in many ways that you probably haven’t even thought of: The thought of it makes you cringe: both networking…

In a new study published by Deloitte, they identify 12 challenges facing today’s organisations and H.R. leaders. One of the greatest has been newly termed “the overwhelmed employee.” This is a direct response to employees being  forced to deal with the constant flow of messages and to cope with semi-permanent availability demanded by modern business life and after hours…