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What It Takes to Be A Facilitative Manager – Part 2: Care, But Not Too Much

By Oliver W. Cummings Feedback from my previous blog post, What It Takes to Be A Facilitative Manager – Part 1: Believe, But Not Too Much A comment and question: It seems to me that teaching is a possible “missing link” in many leadership skills sets. Is there a responsibility for middle managers to see…

Business models in the era of COVID-19

Background: I co-authored The Prepared Mind of Leader, which was published in 2006. The book focused on the skills leaders need that will prepare them for the future.  The context for using these skills is a model that I referred to as the Sense-Response Cycle™. I’ve used this model in hundreds of workshops over the…

A Middle Manager’s Guide to Finance – 1

Ken Vermilion 3/8/2020 Understanding the world of corporate finance in a big company can be daunting.  And if you’re not in the management chain that ends with the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), you might wonder if middle managers really need to bother themselves with the language, strategic thinking skills and, perhaps the most daunting, the…

How Crime Novels Can Teach You The #1 Business Skill You Need In 2020

How Crime Novels Can Teach You The #1 Business Skill You Need In 2020

Did you know that according to the World Economic Forum, the #1 business skill required to succeed in the new decade is the ability to solve complex problems? If you want to become a better and more powerful leader in your company, mastering how to solve complex business problems is not optional – it’s imperative…

Believe, But Not Too Much

What It Takes to Be A Facilitative Manager – Part 1: Believe, But Not Too Much By Oliver W. Cummings 3/5/2020 Feedback from my previous blog post: Facilitative Leadership and the Middle Manager’s Relationship Hierarchy. Bill asked: Considering the eagerness of emerging leaders to take on more responsibility and move into the rank of middle…

Facilitative Leadership and the Middle Manager’s Relationships

By Oliver W. Cummings 2/28/2020 Skillful Facilitative Management: The Core Leadership Competence What makes a successful leader? I believe that skillful facilitative management is the core leadership competence a manager needs to lead a team to succeed in business today. Much of the literature on facilitative management focuses on facilitation skills such as establishing agendas,…

Beware of Dragons! How Middle Age Mapmakers Can Teach You To Anticipate Problems

Middle Age mapmakers knew that the world was larger than what had been explored. So when they drew maps beyond the world they knew, they used symbols of dragons to warn early explorers of potential dangers. As applied to our modern world, ask yourself, “Where do boundaries and “dragons” lurk in my work and personal…

10 Powerful Tips To Help You Become A Better Thinker

Who doesn’t want to become a better thinker? A major ingredient towards winning in life, better thinking helps us efficiently manage our daily lives and achieve our big goals. It empowers us to formulate good plans, handle setbacks, make prompt decisions, and solve problems. Here are 10 powerful tips to help you become a better…

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