Put Away the Poker Face

Have you ever worked with someone who always left you wondering, “I wonder what he’s thinking?”

Approachability is an essential leadership trait, and if your teammates can’t read you, they aren’t sure how to approach you. Some leaders use their stoicism as a guard, while others aren’t even aware that their subtle actions (or inactions) make their teammates think twice about approaching them.

Here are some examples of ways you might be keeping your colleagues from connecting with you: (more…)

In the 16^th century philosophical piece, The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli, asserts that it is best for a leader to be both loved and feared, but if you can’t have both, then it’s better to be feared. After all, commitments made in fear are kept out of fear. And in a lot of cases, Machiavelli was probably right. Followers who fear their leader will carefully walk the line. (more…)