Weekly Impact Brief (2023.Sep.3)
Manager-leader transitions, egos and flaws, engaging remotely, and AI
Note: We are in private beta. There are rough edges; this Brief will evolve in the coming weeks before we launch more broadly. We value your feedback! To share your input, click here.
Read time: 2.5 min
Welcome
It’s great to have you here!
This Brief offers leaders quick, fact-driven insights on trending articles from the last week around leadership, innovation, and more. These are curated from top sources, such as McKinsey, Harvard, and many others, looking at elements of the Imapctful Framework.
Thought Starter
Last week, we covered the element of “Understanding”; this week, we cover “Attention”. Love him or hate him, Elon Musk offers his views below.
(“Attention” = Attention management; time management; productivity, etc.)
Highlights
Forbes: Manager To Leader? Tips For A Smooth Transition
The London School of Economics and Political Sciences: Why leaders must keep their ego in check
Kellogg School of Management: The Case for Admitting (Some) Flaws at Work
MITSloan: How to Deliver Career Development for All
Harvard Business Review: How to Lead and Reskill in the Age of AI
Gallup: Are Remote Workers and Their Organizations Drifting Apart?
McKinsey: On Generative AI
Impact Pulse
Each week, we review 100+ articles from 50+ premier academic and consulting firm sources to highlight a few “essentials” below.
Manager To Leader? Tips For A Smooth Transition
To transition from management into leadership, focus on challenges, mindset shifts, recognition and feedback, mentorship, and the underrated skill of listening; emphasize the importance of clear purpose, selflessness, and effective communication.
Why Leaders Must Keep Their Ego In Check
Unchecked ego in leaders can hamper workplace diversity, stifle innovation, and lead to biases, “mirrortocracy”, and poor decision-making; self-aware executives mitigate these risks by actively seeking diverse, inclusive perspectives and implementing strategies to challenge their own biases.
The Case for Admitting (Some) Flaws at Work
Instead of expecting to appear flawless, leaders who voluntarily disclose minor, relatable flaws are often perceived as more authentic and trustworthy, without compromising their perceived competence.
How to Deliver Career Development for All
Companies should broaden career development beyond "high-potential" employees, employing transparency in job opportunities, skill-building programs, and coaching; career development should encompass both vertical and lateral development and address issues like talent hoarding and managerial resistance.
How to Lead and Reskill in the Age of AI
The impact of AI on the workforce hinges on its integration into company workflows, with reskilling current employees gaining critical importance despite challenges like low adoption and managerial resistance; technology acceptance influences decision-making, company culture, and requires new managerial skills.
Are Remote Workers and Their Organizations Drifting Apart?
U.S. employee engagement rose to 34% in 2023; however, remote workers feel increasingly disconnected from their organization's mission. On-site employees are improving; but in order to maintain engagement, remote work requires managers to have more meaningful interactions.
Spotlight Analysis
Below are our featured insights for the week; McKinsey provides views into the future of Generative AI.
McKinsey on Generative AI
McKinsey Compilation: What Every CEO Should Know About Generative AI; The Economic Potential Of Generative AI
Generative AI can significantly boost productivity and value across multiple business functions—customer operations, marketing and sales, software engineering, and product R&D—by automating tasks up to 70%, enhancing decision-making, and enabling more personalized and efficient services, although careful implementation with higher-wage knowledge work is critical.
Insightful overview chart show below.
Lighter Side
Let's end on a light note!
Last week's cartoon sparked some entertaining captions from our subscribers: "When an email just won't do", "Scaling customer service to new heights", and our favorite, "Feedback you can't ignore."
Here’s the cartoon again, posted on LinkedIn.
Have a clever caption for today's cartoon? Share it with us, and we might feature it on LinkedIn, Twitter, or in an upcoming Brief!
Parting Thoughts
Thank you for spending your precious time with us.
We are still in early “beta” mode for the coming weeks. If you find this Brief useful, please forward it now to share it far and wide!
Please feel free to reach out with any thoughts or questions that today’s insights might have sparked.
Impactfully yours,
Ali Monadjem (LinkedIn profile)
For The Impactful Executive Team
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