Get Ready for Italy! The Hands Speak Volumes

Welcome to your summer (or winter, if you're down under) seminar on hand language, a most underrated competence in most cultures. Your hands can convey feelings that words just can't express, from simple to ambivalent. Take a cue from our Italian friends who command a vast repertoire of gestures for almost any situation in life. 

Thomas D. Zweifel On VoiceAmerica Today: 10 Commandments for Successful and Principled Leaders

How do we breed effective and principled leaders in the 21st century? From business to government to religion, self-serving leaders have lost their compass in the rough seas of a borderless economy, bringing about (among other things) the 2008 global financial meltdown, pay without performance, gridlock and decaying infrastructure. In short, leadership is in crisis.
So how do we turn the tide? Join VoiceAmerica's radio program "Global Reach" today 2pm EDT / 8pm CET to find out.

OMG! How to Communicate in the Digital Age?

Most of us know that the art of communication in a digital world is different from what it used to be in an offline environment. We are less aware that even the rules of email from a few years ago no longer apply. What is the right communication etiquette in the age of mobile?

How Much Work Is Right?

Erin Callan, the then-Chief Financial Officer of now-defunct Lehman Brothers, learned it the hard way: You are not your job. Recent findings show that the optimal way to get things done may be to spend more time doing less. Downtime allows for the unexpected connections and inspiration that let real work get done. The only question is, How much is right?

The Joke About Two Cows: A Crash Course in Culture Clash

Here is a mini-workshop in cross-cultural management: The joke about two cows. You may have heard some of this before, but not in the context of Culture Clash. I may be forgiven for any insults that any reader might perceive; but then again the joke pokes fun both at the Swiss and the Americans too (I am a dual citizen). Enjoy!

The New Pope: What Leader?

Ever since Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis, people the world over have been asking: What leader is he? An arch-conservative with a gentler veneer? A Machiavellian accomplice of the Argentine junta who betrayed fellow Catholics for torture and killing? Or a humble servant who refuses most perks of the papacy and will focus the church on renewal and justice?

From Breakdown to Breakthrough

Perhaps the key difference that separates powerful leaders from the rest is how they deal with breakdowns. Most of us respond to failure in one of four ways: we see failure as bad; we hide it; we hope that someone else will fix it; we cast blame (on ourselves, others, the equipment, the market or the weather); or, worst, we reduce our commitment to avoid failing next time. All of which are entirely understandable, and entirely counter-productive. Here are some stories of breakdowns turned into breakthroughs.  

Anti-Islam Video Bedevils Google, Facebook

The inflammatory anti-Islam video “Innocence of Muslims” that unleashed a worldwide uproar last week has also caused a rift among global Internet companies. Few debate the video’s stupidity and racism. What does divide people is whether the movie should be seen as free speech that should be available everywhere so that viewers can form their own opinion about it; or whether it is so repulsive to some cultures that it should be forbidden there. In short, is the video hate speech or just free opinion? 

George Hincapie vs. Lance Armstrong, or Truth vs. Loyalty

"In cycling we're on the side of a mountain for weeks, in small hotel rooms, sharing every ache, and pain, and meal," Lance Armstrong wrote in his book Every Second Counts. "You get to know everything about each other, including things you'd rather not." If George Hincapie, Armstrong's road captain and long-time lieutenant, talks about what he knows of Armstrong's alleged doping, it will jeopardize their friendship. Will he?

Dear All,
Thank you for your participation in the Leader Harbor. Our dialogue has inspired me to push deeper into the essence of leadership. 
A small change: Google has informed me that it is discontinuing its Google Friends Connect service.
To keep getting my blog, please join the "Global Leader Pyramid Practice Community" here:
http://thomaszweifel.blogspot.com/ ("Join" on right sidebar).
Thank you and I look forward to our continued exploration of what it means to lead in the 21st century,
Thomas