8 keys to finding a mentor

Charisma can be developed | 8 keys to finding a mentor | Support social causes that fit the company mission Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( December 2, 2019 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD](  [] Leading Edge [] [Charisma can be developed]( Charisma is something people can improve by clearly communicating their vision and developing surgency, defined as a high but not excessive level of "cheerfulness, responsiveness, spontaneity, and sociability," writes Theodore Kinni. He discusses a [study]( that claims to have created training to improve managers' charisma. [Strategy+Business online (free registration)]( (11/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [8 keys to finding a mentor]( Being trustworthy, accessible and ready to learn are among eight simple ways to prepare yourself for mentoring, writes Susan Fowler. Join associations in your field to network, and take the initiative to interview experts and nurture relationships with them, she adds. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (11/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Building Asia's future, responsibly As the Asian economy rapidly grows, multilateral development bank AIIB is investing in sustainable energy and infrastructure for the future of the continent, founded on a set of core ESG principles. [Read the full story]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Strategic Management [] [Support social causes that fit the company mission]( Brands don't have to shy away from social causes, but they should focus on efforts that make sense to customers and, ideally, involve other stakeholders, writes Sarah Clark, CEO of public relations firm Mitchell. "Consult an expert -- perhaps a cultural anthropologist -- who can alert you of insensitivities that could derail your efforts," she writes. [Chief Executive online]( (11/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [Be proactive when your boss cancels meetings]( Even executives can be frustrated by not being able to meet with their bosses, and a good way to handle this problem is to be direct without taking the slight personally, writes career coach Alison Green. Look at how such meetings can be streamlined or reimagined, and make the most of the time you do get. [The Cut (tiered subscription model)]( (11/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Holiday Buying Guides Recommended buying guides from T3 - [Best tablet 2019]( - [Best toiletry bags 2019: practical and stylish wash bags for travel]( - [The best gifts for kids and teens this Christmas]( - [Best suits for men 2019: look sharp in these suits]( - [Best wake up light]( [] Smarter Working A weekly spotlight on doing more without working longer [] [Simple strategies to make meetings less painful]( Meetings can become more effective by being purposeful about the length, who is invited and creating an agenda around questions instead of tasks, says University of North Carolina at Charlotte management professor Steven Rogelberg. Leaders should check in after meetings for feedback on what went well and what can be improved, he says. [Forbes]( (11/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [The role of self-affirmations for African Americans in leadership]( One way for African American leaders to cope with the distinct and difficult challenges they face throughout their careers is through self-affirmations, as described by researchers Laura Morgan Roberts and Anthony Mayo. "While our model puts you -- the leader -- at the center, we don't want you to feel alone in the weight of what you want to accomplish," they write. [Harvard Business Review online (tiered subscription model)]( (11/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [It's family first for this CEO]( Penn Mutual CEO Eileen McDonnell adopted her daughter from Russia in 2006 and has shaped her career around the idea of making room for both roles. When meeting with her executive team, she says, "we make sure we talk about what's going on in their family lives so everyone sees the leadership in the company has personal commitments." [CNN]( (11/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [How a female detective helped get Lincoln to D.C.]( President-elect Abraham Lincoln was escorted by train to Washington, D.C., by private detective Kate Warne amid threats on his life by secessionists. Warne was hired by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in 1856, later training women as detectives for the Union during the Civil War. [Mental Floss]( (11/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - [25 simple ways to help employees feel appreciated]( Lolly Daskal [] - [Leadership is shown by the little things]( Rapid Start Leadership [] - [13 expectations that can harm your leadership]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Why every great speech requires 2 outlines]( The Genard Method [] - [Ask these 8 questions to groom executive talent]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] [] There is more power in telling little than in telling all. 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