2008 was an amazing year.  We have seen history being made on multiple fronts and an economy that is being challenged at each and every turn.

As a Leadership Coach, in an odd way, I love to watch times take a down turn, because it is exciting to then watch which leaders can grasp the spiral and pull it to an opportunity.

The January 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review is a must read for everyone.  The articles focus on what is necessary in order to be a leader who transforms not only a company but an entire industry.  Here are just a few of the hallmark strategies:

1) You have to be able to pick the right transition strategy

2) Engaging team members in a collective achievement rather than focusing on individual success

3) Retaining knowledge when a key leader leaves your company

4) Keeping people focused on the most important tasks/goals for your company’s overall success

5) Creating a shared vision

6) Networking…even if you can’t stand it!

For more information, visit Harvard Business Review to view the current issue.

YAHOO NEWS :New Online Training Program Helps Business Leaders Recruit, Retain and Develop Generation Y Talent

Southern Pines, NC (PRWEB) December 30, 2008 — Bea Fields of Bea Fields Companies, Inc. (http://beafields.com) and Ryan Coleman of The NextForce (http://TheNextForce.com) are pleased to announce the opening of The 7 Sides of the Gen Y Square (http://The7Sides.com), an eight-week training program designed to meet the leadership and career development needs for the demographic known as Generation Y. The online course is packed with insight and promises to be the go-to training program for people looking for a glimpse into the mindset of the emerging group of business leaders from so-called Generation Y — those between ages 18 and 30.

“The 7 Sides of the Gen Y Square was created with the future of institutions and organizations at the heart of its development,” said Bea Fields, one of the facilitators of the program and President of the Bea Fields Companies. “Our mission is to profile in detail the core of Generation Y and offer very targeted tactics and strategies which will help organizations build a proficient, productive and innovative workforce for the future.”

Natural entrepreneurs with adventurous spirits, members of Generation Y are just now making an impact in business and in the culture at large. In addition, as the first group to grow up immersed in media culture, they have a distinctive way of ordering their work and personal lives. The 7 Sides of Gen Y will bring a unique, close up look at the people responsible for the cutting edge of social and business trends while addressing the questions and concerns being raised in the business community about how to best recruit, retain and lead this growing cohort of professionals.

“Generation Y is the future! Understanding both the bright and the dark sides of this Generation is needed to embrace their abilities and prepare for the future of our organizations,” said Ryan Coleman also a facilitator of The 7 Sides program. “We present a 360 degree approach to Gen Y by sharing research and stories from young professionals and corporate leaders to frame the multidimensional profile of this great Generation and focus our efforts on offering specific, actionable strategies that can help every organization prepare for the future.”

The first course is on target to open on January 13 at 1:00 p.m. and will be delivered online. For more information or to register, visit http://The7Sides.com or contact Bea Fields at (910) 692-6118.

Management is about doing what can be seen and executing it well;

Leadership is about envisioning what can’t be seen that spontaneously enrolls people to make it happen.

- Ivan Rosenberg, CEO, Frontier Associates

The article discusses moving from transactional to transformational and shifting from “all about me” to “all about us” (still not global minded and us vs. them) to “all about we”.

Time will tell is Obama can lead us to “all about we.”  I still feel in listening to the begging for $$ from Congress by the banks and auto workers, we are still in the “all about us” mentality.  And…the fact that Merrill Lynch’s CEO, Thain has asked for a $10 million bonus smacks of “all about me.”

I am all for CEOs getting paid and I do believe they should be paid a little extra for a job well done.  While Thaine helped ML out of a big pickle, it seems a bit over the top to ask for this type of money when his company was just rescued.

Read the full post from Fast Company by Mark Goulston

In an interview in Harvard Business Review, Joseph S. Nye, Jr. author of Bound to Lead describes that “smart power”, a combination of soft power (attraction, vision and emotional appeal) and hard power (coercion, tough tactics and payment) is the type of power we need to navigate the future.

The interview is a must read for any leaders of today. While soft power is wonderful, many not so great leaders (Hitler, Staline, bin Ladin) used the forces of attraction to get what they want. Striking the balance is critical.

So the question becomes How do leaders strike that sweet spot between soft and hard power?

I believe that this process can start with emotional skills training. The art of developing soft skills begins with knowing your own emotions and how those affect others around you. With great coaching and self observation, you can begin to read others reactions to your emotions so that you can play your cards at the right time using the right emotional tone.

The other part of this process is what I call emotional toughness. This includes being able to play tough and be direct when needed, to hold people accountable to their words and actions and having the courage and the guts to say “We’re going this way…are you on the bus or off the bus…if you’re not on the bus, then let me help you pack your things!”

So many leaders often choose one or the other…as if the two cannot co-exist. I believe they can, and I encourage you to start today to take on the following step:

1) If you have not participated in a 360 Degree Review in the past year, it’s time to complete that process. The only way you are going to know if you are being too soft or too hard is to ask the people around you.

2) Work an emotional intelligence training or coaching program with an executive coach. Include your closest team members in on this training.

3) Look at the hard power skills you struggle with, take one of those and develop that one skill out with finesse. As an example, if you are working on being more direct, practice that with your team, and study people who are strong in this area to see how they do it. Over time, you will find that your soft skills training can help you deliver tough skills with grace and ease.

Pick up a copy of EDGE! A Leadership Story

I wrote a guest post for The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur today:

The 3 Leadership Sins Guaranteed to Destroy Your Company During Tough Economic Times

“I could write this post today about how to keep your heads up during our crashing economy, but I’ll swallow and then share a dose of reality instead: Millions of people are losing their jobs, and 2009 looks bleak. None of us really know what lies ahead, yet leaders are committing 3 basic mistakes that are guaranteed to take your company down.”

Read the Full Post Here

Pick Up a Copy of EDGE! A Leadership Story