Teams need a leader, not a friend

Teams need a leader, not a friend | Your only real competition is you | Growth doesn't always require new products Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( June 4, 2019 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading Edge [] [Teams need a leader, not a friend]( Leaders can be friendly with their team, offer them help and allow them to do their jobs, but those qualities can lead to trouble when conflicts are ignored, writes Marlene Chism. "When you notice team drama, the natural response is to look at personalities, but when you dig deeper you find a hidden root: A leader that is simply too nice," she writes. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (6/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Your only real competition is you]( Stop benchmarking yourself against everyone else, writes Shane Parrish. "What really matters is what you think about what you do, what your standards are, what you can learn today," he suggests. [Farnam Street]( (6/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [6 Key Areas on the CHRO’s Agenda]( The HR function can become a major driver of competitive advantage for the business—now and in years to come. But how can the CHRO get into action? Explore 6 key areas that should be at the forefront of the CHRO's agenda. [Download the paper](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Strategic Management [] [Growth doesn't always require new products]( New products and services are not the only way -- and maybe not the best way -- for companies to grow, with resource reallocation being cited by more top-performing companies studied by McKinsey. Other findings by McKinsey are that companies can outperform regardless of industry, although the tactics that worked before might not succeed repeatedly. [McKinsey]( (5/2019) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Quarterly Business Impact Brief: Turnover Record-low unemployment means finding and keeping top talent is harder than ever. What if you could know who was most likely to stay on the job before hiring them? Find out what forward-thinking companies already know about hiring best-fit candidates and reducing turnover! [Learn More](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Smarter Communication [] [PowerPoint pro: Keep it simple and focus on the story]( Build a compelling PowerPoint presentation by starting with a storyboard based on audience expectations, writes Monica Lueder of Microsoft. Keep the presentation simple, and avoid overusing videos and animations that compete with your words, she warns. [Fast Company online]( (5/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Follow this pitcher's example next time you leave a team]( Follow this pitcher's example next time you leave a team Arrieta in 2017 (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) After pitcher Jake Arrieta left the Chicago Cubs, he wrote an open letter to teammates and fans that honored his time there and their support instead of criticizing people for what may have gone wrong, writes Dan Lovaglia. "His exit from the team was anything other than spectacular, but rather than a letdown, he treated it as a positive part of the journey," Lovaglia writes. [Lead Change]( (6/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Earn a free subscription to Barrons.com Enjoying your SmartBrief? Why not share it with your network? Simply copy and share your personal referral link below. Once you refer five new subscribers, we'll send you a redemption code for your complimentary one-year access to Barrons.com. Your Referral Link: smartbrief.com/Leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp&campaign=ad_barrons ADVERTISEMENT [] Innovation & Creativity A weekly spotlight on making the next big thing happen [] [Don't innovate for innovation's sake]( Innovation is nothing more than a tool companies can use to add value to their products and services, writes Viima Chairman Jesse Nieminen. Don't let the excitement of developing an idea keep you from validating it against the organization's needs. [Innovation Excellence]( (5/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartPulse [] How do you deal with passive-aggressive people? I generally ignore the behavior. 46.97% I confront them directly when I see the behavior. 41.21% I behave passive-aggressively right back at them. 11.82% [] Don’t stoop to their level. The majority of you either confront passive-aggressive behavior when you see it or you just let it slide. I’d venture to guess that the difference in those situations boils down to how egregious the behavior is (with the worse it is inviting more direct confrontation) and what the recipient’s bias toward conflict is (fight or flight). For those of you who get passive-aggressive right back, I ask you to consider the fact that bad behavior invites more bad behavior. You might be making your own situation worse by stooping to their level. The next time you consider doing so, try a different path and either confront the person about their behavior or just let it slide. The workplace might end up being more pleasant if you do. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [ThoughtLeaders](. Before launching his own company, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He's the author of three leadership books: "[One Piece of Paper](," "[Lead Inside the Box](" and "[The Elegant Pitch](." [] How frequently do you shift blame for mistakes you've made? [Vote]( [Never. I always own my mistakes.]( [Vote]( [Sometimes. It just kind of happens and I don't realize I'm doing it.]( [Vote]( [Often. Usually, someone else caused the problem to start.]( [Vote]( [Always. I have a hard time taking responsibility for mistakes.]( [] In Their Own Words [] [LinkedIn co-founder: How philosophy informs business]( LinkedIn co-founder and former CEO Reid Hoffman studied computer science in college but says his business acumen comes from his master's in philosophy. That discipline, he says, taught him how "to articulate theories crisply, which led to an ability to express crisp theories of human nature, which aligns with some of the most interesting things around, like consumer internet and entrepreneurship." [The New York Times (tiered subscription model)]( (5/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Ammonia may be clue to underground ocean on Pluto]( Ammonia traces on Pluto's surface based on data gathered by the New Horizons space probe during its 2015 flyby may suggest the presence of an underground liquid ocean, a study published in Science Advances suggests. The area where ammonia was found coincides with the Virgil Fossae region, which is thought to be the site of previous tectonic activity. [Astronomy]( (5/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you'll beat him though he has more talent than you. Bart Starr, former quarterback for Green Bay Packers NFL team 1934-2019 [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Sign Up]( [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters]( [Advertise]( [Learn more about the SmartBrief audience]( Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions]( [Update Your Profile]( [Unsubscribe]( [Send Feedback](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) [Archive]( [Search]( Contact Us: Jobs Contact - jobhelp@smartbrief.com Advertising - [Laura Engel](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) Editor - [James daSilva](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2019 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy Policy (updated May 25, 2018)]( | [Legal Information]( Â