Category Archives: Leadership

The Three Aloha Leadership Skills You Can’t Live Without!

Posted by on November 14, 2011 Comments Off
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Mike Faberby Mike Faber

Dede Osborn is a Senior Fellow at the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. She’s also a student of Hawaiian leadership and values, and is the author of the paper Leadership Styles in Modern Hawaiian Organizations: Island Culture at Work. Looking at a variety of leadership measures, her studies determine that the three most frequent Hawaiian leadership behaviors are:

  • Treats people with dignity and respect
  • Follows through on promises and commitments
  • Gives team members appreciation and support

Not rocket science, right? So why are these behaviors not practiced more widely and more consistently? Read more »

Three Cs of Great Communication

Posted by on October 4, 2011 Comments Off
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D.J. Vanasby D.J. Vanas

The magical, mystical glue that holds teams together is trust.  With it, we see people follow their leaders through the fires of change, challenge, doubt and fear.  Without it, people won’t follow their leader to the bathroom.  But how do we build that trust and strengthen our relationships, our connections and ultimately influence how well we lead others?

Through communication.

We are all like human radio stations, transmitting information to those around us at all times.  We communicate through e-mail, texting and speaking, but also through our body language and most importantly, through the example we set with our actions.  In the end, our goal as leaders is to communicate in a way that strengthens the bond of trust and enables us to have more influence and impact with those we lead. Whether they are teammates, co-workers, fellow community member or our own families, good communication is a must. Read more »

Do as I Say, AND as I Do!

Posted by on July 25, 2011 Comments Off
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Avish Parasharby Avish Parashar

Have you ever heard the expression, “do as I say, not as I do?”

Well, as in most cases, that’s a pretty stupid way to go. Let’s look at an example…

I went to my local library the other day (which I love) hoping to find some material to broaden my mind – or at least a good novel to get lost in. As I perused the new releases, I noticed an interesting thing: the library was quite loud.

I had always assumed the library was supposed to be quiet, like a morgue, or an audience at a John Cage Concert. This day the library sounded more like a coffee shop or small cocktail party. I could hear at least three distinct conversations echoing through the large room.

I was confused. Why hadn’t the staff quieted these warblers? I looked up to see who these vociferous windbags were… Read more »

Zoe Presenter Spotlight: Avish Parashar

Posted by on May 23, 2011 Comments Off
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Avish Parasharby Zoe Training staff

Did you know that unleashing your creative side helps bring about a new way of looking at life and business? As a speaker, improv teacher, and stand-up comedian, it’s Avish Parashar’s objective to show audiences how they can learn a lot about themselves and their potential for professional excellence – while having fun in a creative format. For Avish, teaching improv is all about helping participants learn how to respond to unplanned challenges, for with all things in life – no matter how well things are planned out – things tend to go wrong or the unexpected usually happens, and it’s good to know how to maintain your sanity and achieve success during those moments the Universe throws you a curve ball.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

“Ding Happens! How to Deliver Great Leadership, Service, and Teamwork – Even When Things Goes Wrong”

This topic lets me combine everything creative I love – improv comedy, stand-up comedy, and storytelling – with content and a message that resonates with audiences. I get to be funny and creative while helping people do better both professionally and personally. It’s awesome! Read more »

Zoe Presenter Spotlight: Mike Faber

Posted by on March 14, 2011 Comments Off
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Mike Faberby Zoe Training staff

Perhaps Mike Faber’s face is familiar to you. Maybe it’s because Mike has been a regular pledge drive host for PBS television stations across the country since the mid ’90s and has been in television broadcasting since the late ’70s.

In this interview, Mike opens up about his personal philosophies and what motivates him to positively impact others.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

My focus is on leadership, and how we “show up” as leaders in our business, community and personal lives. It’s my favorite topic because we can all remember a leader who made a life-time impact for us in our growth – what better legacy to leave than helping others make the same impact? Read more »

Zoe Presenter Spotlight: Mark Zalkin, Part 2

Posted by on January 17, 2011 Comments Off
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Mark Zalkinby Zoe Training staff

Being a seasoned international trainer and coach since 1985, as well as having a long history of serving as a professor and lecturer at various colleges and universities in the U.S. and Singapore, Mark Zalkin has had plenty of thought-provoking – if not life-changing – experiences that he was willing to share with us. This is the second of a two-part interview.

What is your favorite quote?

I have many favorite quotes but the one I like the best is:  “You are an architect of your own misery.  You also have the ability to remodel.”  -  Stephen Marmer, M.D.

I really like Dr. Marmer’s quote because it reinforces the concept of taking responsibility of your own situation and then doing something to start making changes.

I like to feel that my workshops offer my participants the beginning motivation and tools to begin to start the remodeling process. Read more »

What Are Your Employees Not Telling You? Creating a Candid Culture

Posted by on November 2, 2010 Comments Off
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Shari Harleyby Shari Harley

The news is riddled with stories of organizations in which CEOs allowed fraudulent practices to go on with no intervention.  Are these leaders guilty of fraud?  Or negligence?   I’d say neither.  They’re victims of pervasive insulation that is the norm is almost every organization worldwide.  In most organizations the most senior people get the least information of all.

No one wants to tell her boss that a division is losing money or that customers are unhappy.  Instead of speaking up, employees ‘protect’ senior leaders from bad news, putting on a front that everything is fine.  Or are employees really protecting themselves?

Most senior leaders aren’t typically guilty of fraud or negligence.  Rather, they’re guilty of not creating an environment in which people will tell them the truth. Read more »

FERAL LEARNING: Training & Development
Takes a “Walk on the Wild Side”

Posted by on October 25, 2009 Comments Off
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chameleonby Ashley Andrus

With the “Where the Wild Things Are” movie taking the box office by storm it’s a good time to think about feral learning and the ways in which Training & Development are taking a walk on “the wild side.”

In today’s “Google World” it’s possible to find instructions and information on almost anything you might need.

  • Looking for that new BBQ restaurant? Google it.
  • Wondering how many Rocky movies are in the series? A few keystrokes, a click, and voila.
  • Need to know how to change out the filter in your furnace? You know what to do.

Most of us search online every single day. For 2009, Google reports a little under 300 million searches per day on average—almost 9 billion searches in the month of September alone. Technology has changed—forever—the way we gather information. The question is whether your organization’s training & development model has effectively adapted to that reality. Read more »

Leading in Turbulent Times

Posted by on September 8, 2009 Comments Off
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Anna Conradby Anna Conrad

“Making change part of the organization’s internal dialogue is critical to successful firm management.”

Fear, anxiety, and resistance can quickly take over an organization during tough times, causing employee productivity, morale, and engagement to plummet. When change occurs — or is simply rumored to occur — stress can take over and cause serious disruption to firm operations.

A recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management showed that gossip and rumor-spreading among employees has increased 54 percent since the recession began. Such practices may seem harmless, but they can quickly hijack emotions and productivity among your firm’s attorneys and staff alike. If talk around the water cooler goes unchecked, an innocent closed-door meeting to discuss travel limitations could turn into (in the minds of the uniformed) a massive layoff plan. Consider the following strategies to keep this from happening at your firm. Read more »

Incorporating “Fun and Games” Into Your Meetings and Workshops

Posted by on May 4, 2009 Comments Off
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ropes courseby Ashley Andrus

“Tell me and I may forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.”—Confucius

You can learn sitting in a classroom. You can learn listening to somebody talk to you. You can learn watching a webinar or listening to a teleconference or sitting around a conference room table or reading a manual. But it’s not the only way you can learn.

Why not invite some “fun and games” into your meetings and workshops and daily office routine? Incorporating some get-up-and-walk activities with your sit-and-talk sessions can be an effective catalyst in taking the team and the discussion to the next level.

You don’t have to take your team to a ropes course, white-water rafting, skydiving, or high-speed driving to benefit from experiential activities. Those experiences are exciting and can be very effective, but if your budget or timeframe doesn’t allow for that possibility, consider some alternatives that can be done closer to home.

INSTRUCTOR-LED OPTIONS include program like: Read more »

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