How to Lead


Recent How to Lead Articles

Making Tough Decisions: What I've Learned

An entrepreneur talks about tough choices, saying no, and embracing change.  Read more

Does Your Business Need a Sequester?

The end of the first quarter is the perfect time to evaluate where your business stands. Here's why it might pay to take a page out of the government's playb...  Read more

4 Ways Pope Francis Masters New Leadership

While the world watches, the new Pope is already making strategic moves that will go a long way toward bolstering his reputation.  Read more

2 Words That Drive Bosses Crazy

Here's how to transform an endless complaint into a workable plan of action.  Read more

Dangerous Ways Your Virtues as a Leader Can Backfire

Your values and virtues have come to define your leadership ability. That's outstanding. But it can also have a dark side.  Read more

4 Unique Working Styles: What's Yours?

To get more out of your team, first figure out how your employees (and you) work best--and then assign tasks accordingly.  Read more

5 Tips for Finding the Perfect Co-founder

To head off problems down the road, any prospective partner must bring a lot more than talent to the table. Here's what else to look for.  Read more

Peter Thiel Talks About the Day Mark Zuckerberg Turned Down Yahoo's $1 Billion

The PayPal co-founder, early Facebook investor, and Founders Fund managing partner explains the most famous deal that never happened--and what luck had to do...  Read more

Why You Should Never Compromise

Forget about trying to appear diplomatic. When you compromise, you willfully give in to mediocrity.  Read more

Most Important Task You're Ignoring

Answering emails, putting out fires--those are important. But one founder suggests something else should take up at least 25 percent of your day.  Read more

3 Leadership Skills That Trump All Others

Leadership doesn't necessarily come from being the best at your trade. These three skills can make all the difference.  Read more

8 Rules to Make Telecommuting Work

Culture is key at Blinds.com. But letting employees work from home is a crucial part of that maintaining that culture.  Read more

10 Characteristics of Really Interesting People

Illustrator Jessica Hagy spoke to a room of 200 or so SXSW attendees this afternoon about how not to be boring.  Read more

The Truth About the Office Wallflower

He never speaks up in group meetings and cringes when invited to after-work happy hours. What's the problem? Maybe it's you.  Read more

6 Ways to Get Noticed

Effective self-promotion lies somewhere between being a wallflower and a flaming narcissist. Find the sweet spot with these tips.  Read more

The Stuff Strong Relationships Are Made Of

The best way to get help is to give it. But there's one other step that's just as crucial to building strong working relationships.  Read more

4 Ways to Make Company-Wide Meetings Mean Something

Do more than give everyone on your team a warm, fuzzy feeling. Feed their brains.  Read more

4 Employee 'Motivators' That Can Backfire

Most of the people who work for you wouldn't dare admit that these incentives don't work nearly as well as you think they do.  Read more

Better Collaboration in 3 Steps

Engineers use the Agile method to build software more efficiently. You can use it to run your company more efficiently.  Read more

How to Break Out of the 'Female Entrepreneur' Trap

Want to succeed as a female founder? Quit talking about being a female founder.  Read more

4 Reasons Yahoo's Telecommuting Ban Won't Last

Telecommuting, handled properly, creates more effective, harder-working, employees. Eventually, Marissa Mayer will figure that out.  Read more

What Nepalese Mountaineers Can Teach You About Business

Sherpas are famous for trekking to the summit of Mount Everest. But one entrepreneur says they have much to teach the business world.  Read more

4 Ways That Employees Manipulate Bosses

Use these tactics to thwart four common dirty tricks that employees play on their bosses.  Read more

3 Things the 'Harlem Shake' Reveals About the Workplace

Sure, it's a ridiculous meme. But pay attention: Buried in those YouTube clips are some truths about why company culture is so important.  Read more

Bob Nardelli: 'Just When You Think You're Done, Go Back and Take Another Look' 

The former CEO of Chrysler and Home Depot recommends you differentiate yourself by always being over prepared.  Watch video

Do Any of Your Employees Have a Life-Threatening Allergy?

No idea? Never thought to ask? You can prepare for and avoid a serious health catastrophe. Here's how.  Read more

Silver Lining for the Broken-Down Carnival Cruise? Praise for the Ship's Crew

How Carnival employees handled a filthy, smelly fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico can teach you a thing or two about top-notch customer service.  Read more

Love Is in the Air at Work. What Can You Do?

You'll be hard-pressed to extinguish office romances. Here's how to ignore them (and why you want to).  Read more

Maker's Mark and the Price of Being Too Popular

Unable to keep up with demand, the hot bourbon distillery plans to stretch supply by watering down its product. Risky move.  Read more

Astronaut Mark Kelly: 'Even Though It's Fun, It's a Continuous Crisis' 

When space shuttle commander Mark Kelly led flights into space, he did not delegate. Here he describes his hands-on approach.  Watch video

One Sure-Fire (and Fast) Way to Get Rid of Office Politics

Politics are the bane of company life. But eliminating them is a lot less complicated than you think. Here's how.  Read more

Jerry Maguire Was Right

Two business owners decided to stop seeking wealth for its own sake and start putting their clients first. Here's what happened.  Read more

Got Funding? 7 Things to Do Now

It's too easy to lose focus after reaching this all-important milestone. Stay the course postfunding with these tips.  Read more

Time's A-Wastin' (And You're Probably Wasting Time)

Most of us don't feel we are using our time well--and we're right. We need to put ourselves on time budgets.  Read more

Think Like a 5-Year Old (the Best Leaders Do)

Want to grow your business? Reclaim your child-like sense of wonder, that endless curiosity about the world around you.  Read more