Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds, and do not deserve all they have achieved. Individuals with impostorism…
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Among the most important skills in leadership are gaining trust and knowing how to collaborate under stress. A great leader is the kind of person others want to follow. They know how to break down silos and model collaboration. They have the courage to build meaningful relationships, and are experts at establishing trust and touching hearts, creating an environment where people feel heard, small problems don’t escalate, and businesses succeed.
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Leadership is a difficult skill to master. Ultimately, we all want to become a leader who matters. For that if we do not matter then there is no reason for another to follow us. However, on the other side of the coin, to matter as a leader we need to inspire and motivate our followers. Therefore, we are caught in a chicken and egg situation. To matter as a leader is something which can bring meaning and joy to your leadership journey.
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Competitive advantage and financial gain have become widely accepted strategic priorities for companies. Yes, many companies invest in professional development for employees and support volunteer and charitable programs. Yet, such efforts are rarely incorporated into the organization’s core focus, outcomes, and actions, let alone its true purpose for being in business. Putting competition and profits first not only devalues individual workers; it hurts the entire organization. With the outbreak of COVID-19, many people responded with anxiety and lost their motivation for working as their companies scrambled to adapt to the challenges, including managing a remote workforce. Focusing on problems and clinging to the goal of market dominance at all costs takes a toll on employees, customers, and their communities, as well as a company’s reputation and bottom line.
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It’s no secret that unmotivated employees can ravage a business. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, nearly 70 percent of employees were less than enthusiastic about (and less than committed to) their work, costing U.S. businesses between $450 and $550 billion each year. Add in one worldwide pandemic, newly remote and anxious employees, and news of daily layoffs, and leaders are left to plead, “Now what?” as employees mentally check out. Though it’s tempting to blame homebound workers and current events for cratering employee engagement, the most significant cause of demotivation—despite everything above—are the managers and leaders themselves.
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Like a house needs a solid foundation to weather the age of time; leaders require a solid foundation to ensure that the principles which they based their leadership upon will last beyond their years and into future generations. A solid foundation of leadership is more than about the basics but rather ensuring that the morals,…
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Being the boss has never been harder. Recent events in the corporate world, Hollywood and politics have focused negative attention on the kind of tough, demanding leaders who used to be valued for getting things done, labeling many as bullies and accusing them of fostering a “hostile workplace environment.” They are demeaned and called names, as society demands that they change their ways. But what if the very thing that makes them so abrasive is also their superpower?
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In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one’s sense of time. As leaders its important to hit our peak performance all the time, flow is one of those ways which ensures we do so.
With over 10 years of coaching experience, Matt has developed expertise in areas such as mental skills training, personal behaviour change, leadership development, high-consequence environments, and team dynamics. Upon earning his Masters of Sport & Performance Psychology at the University of Denver, Matt was a professor at Humber College for 5 years and has worked with clients in professional, athletic, and academic settings. In 2019, he founded Emergent, a High Performance consulting firm.
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Far too many organizations do a poor job of translating their well-formulated strategies into their anticipated results. Whether related to unclear goals, lack of accountability or undertaking activities irrelevant to results, the inability to deliver comes from poor execution. To actively manage your organization so that everyone is working toward a common vision, strategy and set of priorities requires aligning “seven gears of execution” to alleviate the friction that’s slowing you down. These involve ensuring you have the right people in the right roles with the right capabilities; you align your organizational architecture in the direction of your strategy; you promote a culture of communication; and more.
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Prior to his private sector career, Mike served as a paratrooper in the special operations, and as Captain of the 2/2 Armored Cavalry Regiment for the U.S. Army. He oversaw border security during the collapse of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s. In the second Gulf War he was an integral part of the victory in the battle of 73 Easting – regarded as one of the top ten most significant tank battles in history. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor, the Combat Cavalry Badge, and Presidential Citation; and received medals for the Kuwaiti Liberation, the Iraq Campaign, the Global War on Terrorism, and Distinguished Service.
As Senior Vice President, Sales & Distribution, Mike Hamilton is responsible for leading the RBC Insurance Sales and Distribution team across Canada and across multiple channels. This includes 800 employees who serve our personal and business clients spanning our various life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, and group and creditor products. RBC Insurance’s sales forces include: a network of over 50 stores, an advice centre, online channels and advisors who are focused on group and small business clients. In addition, there are teams that provide relationship management for our third-party broker network. Mike also leads the national office Sales and Distribution team, consisting of sales enablement and sales support professionals who help drive productivity, revenue growth and improve the client experience.
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