Leading into 2010?

My hope for 2010 is that more people listen to Paul Krugman.

Agree with CSENSE on Krugman! And though it's been said before, to business and govt both, a plea: make up your mind, either lead OR follow. If you're not smart, creative or supportive enough to do either one (you know what's coming)--stop whining (Republican Senators, are any of you listening?) and get out of the way.

My advice to all managers:

1. Shut up
2. Let me do the job you hired me to do
3. Pay me a fair wage for the job I do and the location I live in.
4. Keep higher ups away from me

1. This feature / program is a good idea. I have one general comment to offer as you consider and shape this program. There are MANY excellent programs on leadership -- go to iTunesU and browse. It's an abundance of riches with MBA programs at stanford, CMU, Harvard, yale, etc., plus think tanks, interviewing people like Steve Wozniak and Jobs in great depth and with expertise. I would like to see the Post not attempt to compete or match that; rather, make it your own. Focus on something DC, like leadership in policy; or the intersection of business and policy; or how government can nurture innovation. Here, I think the Post could offer something original and genuinely useful.

2. Topic suggestion: Interview a retired CEO of a company with a very large lobbying operation, not people with any current stake in the game, on how companies achieve their policy goals.

"Five musts for leaders." (Warren Bennis)

"Four principles that stand the test." (David Flynn)

"Five steps to improve communication." (John Baldoni)

"Seven resolutions to deepen and improve your leadership." (Francie Dalton)

Sounds a bit like the self-help books aisle at Borders, no?

In my experience with managers and leaders (in the health care industry), too much time, effort and surely money is spent coming up with slogans, catch phrases and mission statements: ("Four core principles" "Five Pillars of Service" etc., etc..)

Provide us with good co-workers and pay us fairly (we know when you don't), treat us fairly across the board, keep the mickey mouse to an absolute minimum. Employee relations needn't be such a minefield.

Lead by example. That resonates more with workers than slogans and feigned "honesty."

If I were one of these managers, I would take a significant pay cut and be the first one in and last one out every day. I would keep the sloganeering to a minimum.

I turned to the leadership section with great interest and then, when I saw that The Post quoted 5 men and only 1 woman, I felt like I was back in 1953. Then to make it worse, all of those quoted appear to be white.

Fortunately, at least Beth Brooks acknowledged that we live in a global world and that global diversity offers organizations tremendous resources for new innovation and initiatives.

If there is anything that defines leadership these days, it is the capability to engage a diverse global workforce at every level of the organization so that all will align themselves with and act to achieve the organizational mission.

The second must have for leaders who intend to do something that matters is character. We need leaders who have the character to think beyond the profit motive and the courage to make decisions that contribute to the well being of the global community and the sustainability of the planet.

Barrie Zucal
President/CEO Global Coaches Network

We live in a complex world requiring people to work together to address more significant challenges than in the past. More reliance has got to be placed on those lower on the organizational chart. Challenges and opportunities more carefully vetted. For this we need new organization structures that create greater internal networking. We need greater leadership and business fluency at all levels to create more collaborative leadership. The methodology is there...the resolve typically isn't.