Links for Light Reading – April (a late March edition!) 2012

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This month’s ‘links for light reading’ is a little late, but better late than never, right?

Three great articles on leadership caught my eye this month….

• Self knowledge has long been established as one of the hallmarks of great leaders. This piece from The Guardian, titled You are a leader – but how well do you know yourself?, outlines seven ideas that leaders can use to learn more about their performance. The list includes a suggestion to take a personality test – my personal favourite (and the one that I find most useful) is the VIA Survey of Character Strengths (the questionnaire and results can be accessed from Dr. Martin Seligman’s Authentic Happiness site (test is free, but registration is required)).
• In a recent blog post ‘Good Boss, Bad Boss’ author and Stanford University professor, Bob Sutton, shares a useful method for determining if you or your boss is self-aware (and listens well).
• And finally, this short post, Mo Cheeks and a fundamental question of leadership, (featuring a video of former Portland Trail Blazers coach, Mo Cheeks) highlights why acting as a leader demands that we embrace our own mediocrity…. “‘Am I willing to risk my personal reputation and status for the good of others?’ becomes a fundamental question any potential leader must answer.  We must balance the inferior nature of our solution and abilities against what the state of the world would be if we did not act.”

And another couple of worthwhile reads to add to your Easter holiday reading list….

• Innovation Is About Arguing, Not Brainstorming. Here’s How To Argue Productively. This article presents five key rules of engagement that have been found to yield fruitful group innovation sessions and ultimately lead to meaningful ideas.
• I’m fascinated about how the way we work is changing and how it’s going to continue to change into the future, including changes to the physical environment in which we work. This piece, The future of work spaces: hot desks or cold comfort?, looks at the ways that some companies are beginning to change how they use their office space.