When being critical can be purely harmful

What have you done lately for the people you still have? | 3 lessons for leaders from "The Matrix" movies | Decision-making can't be based on avoiding conflict Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( December 14, 2021 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [What have you done lately for the people you still have?]( Team members who have not left during the Great Resignation need to know what their future with the organization will be like, writes Tammy Perkins, chief people officer of PMI Worldwide. Perkins offers four actions for leaders, such as creating a more engaging culture as well as implementing stay interviews and pulse surveys that allow employees to give their bosses feedback on their needs and concerns. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (12/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [3 lessons for leaders from "The Matrix" movies]( Just as the Oracle helped Neo see his true potential in "The Matrix," so should leaders surround themselves with people who believe in them, writes Kristin Hendrix. The experience of Keanu Reeves' character in the franchise also reminds us to understand our strengths and weaknesses and to find people who understand what we can't see, Hendrix writes. Full Story: [Leadership Vitae]( (12/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Is ESG issuance in the US poised for rapid expansion? With investors increasingly demanding sustainability commitments, Greg Cass, our Head of Sustainable Capital Markets, Americas, looks at the implications for Corporate America. [Watch the video]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Decision-making can't be based on avoiding conflict]( Decisions based on a "minimum common denominator" can be useful in legal or safety issues, but in other areas you risk "the danger of trying to please everyone in the organization at the expense of making optimal decisions for the broader organization," writes Michael Nathanson, CEO of The Colony Group. Better to acknowledge and engage with differences in a larger organization, and then move forward, rather than avoid conflict in pursuit of consensus, Nathanson writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (12/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Think you're in a crisis? Maybe it's a predicament]( A mindset of crisis thinking tends to demand an immediate solution to the problem, regardless of whether one exists, writes Larry Robertson, who offers three signals that your crisis is really a predicament. "To address a predicament, a series of solutions must be pursued, and be seen as part of a larger mosaic and linking together over time," Robertson writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (12/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Larry Robertson on SmartBrief on Leadership   [] Smarter Communication [] [When being critical can be purely harmful]( Prejudicial language, sarcasm and criticizing people rather than their work are leadership actions that destroy trust with employees, writes Kate Nasser. "If you expect perfection or struggle with obsessive compulsive behavior yourself, rethink criticism and how you give it," Nasser writes. Full Story: [Kate Nasser]( (12/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Featured Content Sponsored Content from 1440 Media [News without all the B.S.]( Check out 1440 - The fastest way to an impartial point-of-view. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business and everything in between - in a 5-minute read each morning, 100% free. [Sign up now!]( [] SmartPulse [] As the year-end approaches, how did the year turn out for you versus expectations? Significantly better! I'm shocked at how well we did 14.54% Better than expected 39.83% As expected 20.93% Worse than expected 20.05% It was a disaster, and we never expected it to be this bad 4.65% [] Better than expected. 55% of you reported you had a better than expected year this past year. 15% of you were surprised at how well you did. Why did this happen? Look at your expectations and how they were set. Were you too pessimistic? That might have led you to miss opportunities early in the year because you were timid. Did you miss a major market trend? How will that trend play out next year? Don't simply be satisfied with having a fantastic year -- consider the reasons it happened and what you can take advantage of in the coming year. For those who did worse than expected, evaluate your market assessment practices. Did you fall prey to the tyranny of the numbers (e.g., "goal is last year +10%")? How might you do a better job of identifying market drivers and forecasting more accurately in the coming year? Learn from your experience this year to have a better year next year. -- 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 attractive is the employee benefits package offered by your organization? [Vote]( [Extremely: It's best in class]( [Vote]( [Very: Our benefits are better than most companies]( [Vote]( [Somewhat: Our benefits are middle of the pack]( [Vote]( [Not very: Our benefits are lacking in a few key areas]( [Vote]( [Not at all: Our benefits are bare-bones]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Walgreens CEO is trying to create opportunity for others]( Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer has encountered skepticism about her credentials, but she's worked drive-thru, distribution and other on-the-ground roles in her pursuit of executive titles, and she hopes that the people who come after her aren't unfairly judged that way. Brewer has broadened her perspective in the past 18 months, realizing that, "from an inclusive standpoint, we have not created environments where people feel like they can bring their whole self to their opportunities in front of them." Full Story: [Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model)]( (12/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Anonymous bidder wins college papers graded by Musk]( Papers graded by Elon Musk when the Tesla and SpaceX leader was a teaching assistant at the the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business have sold at auction for $7,753. The papers, from 1995, were written by Brian Thomas. Full Story: [United Press International]( (12/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] James daSilva James daSilva Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor! Thank you for reading and subscribing. I have not seen much of "The Matrix" movies -- only the second, oddly enough, as I tagged along with friends to the theater all those years ago. I trust the writer in the insights uncovered [in the article]( today, but that's as far as my interest goes. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note.](mailto:jdasilva@smartbrief.com) [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 [] [] An overnight success is ten years in the making. 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