Be picky about who's in the room to improve meetings

Why every leader should learn how to tango | Enthusiasm can be divisive when people feel left out | How Canon's pandemic pivot paints a different picture Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( November 10, 2020 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [Why every leader should learn how to tango]( Leadership is a lot like dancing because both involve reading body language, adapting quickly, recovering from mistakes and thinking on your feet, writes Megan Taylor Morrison. Tom Koerner, an attorney who also teaches dance, says leaders and dancers alike "have to consider how the audience perceives you and how to portray yourself as confident." Full Story: [ThoughtLeaders]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Enthusiasm can be divisive when people feel left out]( Your enthusiasm for a project can feel like bullying to some people if you appear to be brushing aside their feelings or concerns, writes Kate Nasser. Share your enthusiasm by listening to teammates, identifying differences and finding common ground to move forward, she writes. Full Story: [Kate Nasser]( (11/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Want to Save $1,775 Per Employee Per Year? Small businesses that work with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can benefit from 20% less employee turnover, 63% lower health benefits costs, and significantly fewer concerns related to hiring, retaining, and motivating employees. [Check out how to outsource HR admin today](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [How Canon's pandemic pivot paints a different picture]( Canon responded to a pandemic-related shortage of webcams by creating software to turn regular cameras into video-streaming devices. Canon is not actually manufacturing webcams, but it will likely realize a wider market by making software available on Apple and Windows computers and across dozens of camera models, Rob Walker writes. Full Story: [Medium (tiered subscription model)/Marker]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Social cache is what makes a product a phenomenon]( Product success is often as much to do with cultural cache or word-of-mouth recommendation as it does with quality or price. This is often seen with conspicuous categories like masks or fashion, but less flashy products can also gain mass appeal when consumers continually recommend the product, such as with Zoom. Full Story: [BBC (free registration)]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( It's Here-Your Guide to Crisis Recovery They say the comeback is always stronger than the setback. And we have the solution to get your business back on track. [Discover 6 ways]( a first-class human capital management (HCM) suite can improve your recovery strategy by putting people first. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [What to do when someone dominates a virtual meeting]( When someone starts to dominate a virtual meeting, acknowledge their concerns and redirect them back to the discussion, writes Kevin Eikenberry. Remember that these are behaviors rather than personality traits, so if someone is taking over, you want to redirect them rather than assume the worst of them, Eikenberry writes. Full Story: [Leadership & Learning with Kevin Eikenberry]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Be picky about who's in the room to improve meetings]( Meetings can be more effective when the topic is clear, such as feedback on a decision and being considerate about who you select for the meeting, say Leigh Weiss and Aaron De Smet of McKinsey. "[I]f you have a bunch of people who you want to go execute and you want them to go fast, it can be extremely helpful to have those people in the room ready to get clear on what they need to go do to make it happen," De Smet says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartPulse [] How comfortable are you with reading, understanding and executing contracts? Extremely: I understand contracts well and have no issues executing them 17.79% Very: I'm familiar with most contracts and am mostly comfortable executing them 36.88% Kind of: Contracts sometimes confuse or intimidate me, but other times I'm comfortable 27.34% Not very: Unless it's a simple contract, I prefer to leave contracting to the experts 14.09% Not at all: I want nothing to do with contracting in any situation 3.90% [] Practicing law without a license? Slightly over half of you are very or extremely comfortable with understanding and executing contracts. That's a great skill to have given how prevalent they are in everyday business. If you're in the minority who aren't as familiar or comfortable with contracts, that's fine too as long as you're represented by competent counsel. In any case, it's a good skill to have because the better you understand contracts, the more effectively you can point out any "business" issues to your attorneys (who mostly read contracts for their legal implications and not necessarily the business implications). Even if you're not the one signing the contract, knowing what's in there can help you identify and mitigate business risks and prevent your organization from entering a bad deal. Stop being intimidated. Read the contract. Get familiar with their structure and terminology. Your understanding of contracts will be an asset to your organization. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes [TITAN]( -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: How would you characterize your organization's attitude toward customer service? [Vote]( [We go out of our way to exceed expectations]( [Vote]( [We do our best to meet expectations]( [Vote]( [We try to meet expectations but don't worry too much if we don't]( [Vote]( [We do the bare minimum to get by]( [] In Their Own Words [] [How dog-sledding taught a coach how to lead]( Val Jones, a former professional figure skater who coaches performance, joined a dog-sled team and learned the value of "leading from behind," which involved knowing each dog's strengths and weaknesses and when they need a break. Full Story: [Real Leaders]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Telescopes help capture space station in orbit]( Photographer Andrew McCarthy used two telescopes and blended the results to produce stunning images of the International Space Station as it crossed over the sun and the moon. McCarthy had to shoot quickly since the ISS passes by both the sun and moon in less than a second. Full Story: [PetaPixel]( (11/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] I'm curious about everything -- even things that don't interest me. Alex Trebek, television personality, game show host 1940-2020 [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004