The definitive guide for appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior in German-speaking Europe has officially ruled that relationships can be ended via SMS. But now its president has come under attack and several board members resigned in protest. Who is right? And what constitutes acceptable communication online?
Is the Internet helping to disgrace scoundrels, expose scandals, and bring down dictators? Or is it a place of fake intimacy in which innocent people get cyber-mobbed, shamed, and attacked? Probably both. Facebook, Twitter or YouTube are two-faced technologies: fighting cruelty, causing cruelty. Which face will prevail?
Scandal in Germany: In an unprecedented step, the University of Bayreuth has revoked the doctorate of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, accusing him of plagiarizing most of his dissertation. Should the popular German defense minister, at under 40 a rising political star in the conservative coalition, tough it out? Or should he take the consequences and resign?
One of the unlikely heroes of Egypt's revolution is Wael Ghonim, Google's head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, who sparked the protests through Facebook and Twitter. Is Ghonim a new type of 21st-century leader?
In 2008, Siemens was the first company on the DAX 30 index of German blue-chip companies to appoint a woman, Barbara Kux, to its executive board. Do European women executives suffer from a "pipeline leak" or from an "upgrade problem"? And what needs to be done to close the gender gap in European C-level positions?
Egypt's government has virtually shut down communications among the protesters: The last Internet provider has just been paralyzed. But the opposition is getting unexpected help: Now Google makes it possible for Egyptians to tweet via phone.
In my previous post ("New Year, New Habits") I wrote about the quiet power of choosing your regular practices deliberately. Now we go to the next level: Any old practices are not enough. The question is, What practices? Brain research tells us that you have to go beyond your comfort zone and into unknown territory to get performance breakthroughs.
A new year calls for new habits. Habits and routines have a negative connotation; but researchers have found that new habits are good for the brain, innovation, even creativity. Taking stock of your regular practices might raise your leadership game to a new level.
I hope you've had a great year: productive, meaningful, full of valuable learning. As a token of my gratitude to 37,000+ loyal readers, please accept a year-end gift: my latest book Leading Leaders: The Art & Science of Boosting Return on People (ROP). May this small book help you (and your people) achieve your (and their) boldest dreams this coming year.
The biggest corruption scandal in sports history just got bigger when BBC Television disclosed evidence that FIFA officials had taken $100 million in bribes. How can Sepp Blatter and his cronies be held accountable for their Qatar (rhymes with "gutter") politics?
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