Author Archives: JC Cruz

JC Cruz is an executive coach and organizational consultant specializing in team development, human dynamics and workplace harmony.

Motivate Employees by Example

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motivation

There are two forms of employee motivation at work. Extrinsic motivation is external: pay, bonuses, overtime, commissions, rewards and other similar recognitions for hard work and attained organizational goals. Intrinsic motivation is internal: the desire to be the best at one’s job, to achieve or fulfill a purpose, to master a skill or technique, and other similar intellectual stimulations. Most managers focus on offering the proper extrinsic motivators to their…

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Slippery Slope of Dishonesty

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Honesty is not quite the lonely word Billy Joel thinks it is. Managers and workers alike lament the loss of honesty in the workplace. Labor wants a leader to practice honesty and openness. Management seeks to hire honest, hard workers. Both are often disappointed to find it lacking in the other. Honesty in the workplace is critical to harmonious and productive relations, yet it is often one of the least…

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Bad Bosses Stymie Businesses

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I write articles on leadership and management with one goal: to help others become more mindful and caring leaders. Science and clinical study support this modern idea of leadership. Volumes of research are published in academic journals each month, showcasing the positive outcomes of these new forms of practice. What were once fringe ideas offered by singular gurus of their day – servant leadership, emotional intelligence, mindful leadership – now…

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Study the Best; Become Better

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Dr. Amanda Trosten-Bloom is a principal with the Corporation for Positive Change, a consulting agency specializing in organizational change and transformative leadership. She shares the story of a mid-sized American automotive repair company that sought to improve customer satisfaction, and the lessons it learned about the power of an appreciative inquiry. The story begins simply enough. Company managers examined data on customer satisfaction and agreed that customer satisfaction could be…

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Succession: Key to Success

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Historians consider Marcus Aurelius Antoninus “the last of the great emperors of Rome.” I’m not a historian by any stretch of the imagination, so I can’t claim to have the credentials to refute the claim, but I have often questioned this designation of admiration. I credit Marcus Aurelius for many admirable and distinguishable qualities. His self-discipline, adherence to principle, and the wise and fair rule of all Rome during his…

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Empower Your People

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empower

Do you empower the people in your organization? It’s a straightforward question. I suspect many of you believe that you do, and I would certainly hope you are right. Others of you will qualify your affirmative statement with exceptions to the practice. Still others will offer a variety of anecdotal reasons (bad experiences) why empowerment is an overrated practice. We each view empowerment differently, and because we tend to do…

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The Hard Work of Leadership

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leadership

Leadership is not the task of getting things done. It is equally not the task of getting people to want to get things done, despite the frequently quoted definitions offered by some of our modern leadership teachers. Leadership is the task of shaping the character, potential and contribution of others for their own sake and the sake of society at large. The tasks that we leverage to go about doing…

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Active Listening = Understanding

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active listening

When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a member of your staff? A healthy rapport with staff is critical to good leadership and good workplace outcomes. Building good rapport from day one provides the foundation necessary when critical conversations are necessary to launch a product, address a concern or clarify an objective. When employees walk into your office or meeting area knowing you are invested in the relationship…

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Leaders can Learn to Manage Stress

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stress

April is National Stress Awareness Month. Work-related stress is by far the most common and costly form of stress in the United States. Stress and its associated impact on our physical and mental health account for the majority of sick days taken each year. The cost to U.S. employers is now estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Stress and mental health are highly correlated. Helping our employees…

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The Role of Kindness in Leadership

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kindness in leadership

What is the single most important attribute for good, effective leadership? That is perhaps the most dangerous question in the world for a leadership coach. Not because it is difficult, but because it is easy. Too easy, in fact. There is no wrong answer. You can choose from literally dozens of buzzwords and catch phrases and you will be guaranteed applause. But, sitting on a panel one day, I was…

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