As a leader, how do you approach challenges in your organization? Do you see them as problems to be solved, or puzzles to be pieced together? In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, this distinction could be the key to unlocking innovation and thriving in uncertain times. The shift from problem-solving to puzzle-solving isn’t just a change in terminology – it’s a fundamental shift in mindset that can transform how your team tackles complex issues.

I didn’t set out to start a gratitude ritual with my colleagues at Jotform. A few years ago, as the holiday season approached, I was overwhelmed by the number of tasks left to complete. The stress was so distracting that it made it hard to focus. To break the cycle of rumination, I grabbed a pen and wrote a quick note to one of our directors. She had been balancing family commitments and work projects yet still managed to bring her enthusiasm to a recent team effort.

Young managers aren’t just using AI to boost efficiency — they see it as a tool to become better leaders. A new report from Google Workspace, conducted by the Harris Poll, surveyed more than 1,000 “knowledge workers ages 22 to 39 who are employed or self-employed full time and currently hold or aspire to hold a leadership position.” Of these workers, 86 percent believe that AI “can help current leaders become better managers,” per the report, and 79 percent are interested in using it to become a better manager themselves.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, the iconic British Prime Minister who led his nation out of the dark days of World War II to victory. Most often, Sir Winston expressed his inspirational leadership with the oratorical skills he exhibited in the more than 2,500 speeches he gave over his lifetime. In a prior blog, you read how you can adopt the five principal elements of content and delivery Churchill deployed in his speeches in your own presentations.

My company, Jotform, was not an overnight success. I didn't wake up one day to find myself the darling of TechCrunch or attract massive funding rounds from VCs ravenous to get in on the form-building action. I probably don't have to tell you that a form-builder is not the world's sexiest basis for a startup. But that doesn't bother me one bit. Jotform became successful not because it's flashy, but because our products work.

If there was something that 81% of people spent time at work doing, yet 84% of people also agree that it's not working — wouldn't that be a strong incentive to make critical changes? According to Asana's 2024 State of Workplace Innovation report and data shared in Asana keynote speeches, that exact scenario is playing out in businesses worldwide. What is this broken activity? Collaboration. In fact, 90% of workers rely on informal networks, friends, and unspoken understandings to get things done.

Ask people if they’re on track for a good retirement, and many will immediately start talking about their finances. Do they save enough? Have they diversified their portfolio properly? What will happen if they experience some unexpected crisis? All of these are worthy questions, of course. But according to a new study out of Japan, saving enough to enjoy your golden years is only the first step to a good retirement. If you really want to feel happy and fulfilled after you step back from work.

Once the soaring leader in the aerospace sector with a stock price of around $430 per share and a market capitalization of almost $240 billion, Boeing has dropped far from its heyday. With the BA stock price down by more than 60% and market capitalization losing billions by the day, the corporation is today a shell of its past. This sharp drop did not occur by accident; rather, it was the outcome of a sequence of strategic errors, leadership decisions, and cultural changes costing Boeing not only financially but also reputationally.

Digital transformation is now an inevitability, focusing on the approach rather than the decision to proceed — and at the heart of this evolution lies artificial intelligence (AI). In today's fast-paced digital landscape, companies are turning to AI as a game-changing asset that fuels growth, enhances efficiency, and sparks innovation. Successfully embracing AI goes beyond mere technology; it necessitates forward-thinking leadership that comprehends both its possibilities and its obstacles.

The brutal reality is that today, AI is worse than it will ever be. As it improves, the employment picture will grow darker. Goldman Sachs predicts that AI will cause 300 million jobs to vanish by 2030. This includes the full spectrum of human endeavor. At the “greatest risk of task replacement,” in Goldman’s view, is everything from administrative support positions, at 46 percent, followed by legal positions.

Mark Cuban knows what sets successful people apart from the crowd. Cuban, 66, is both a self-made billionaire and a longtime startup investor who’s listened to many business pitches in more than a decade on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and mentored dozens of entrepreneurs he’s helped fund. The core traits and strategies that make people successful haven’t changed since Cuban first got started.

There is a clear and direct connection between effective leadership and team performance. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report underscores this relationship, revealing that managers account for a staggering 70 percent of the variance in team employee engagement. Yet, with only 23 percent of global employees actively engaged, the statistics paint a picture of poor leadership.

Servant leadership is a bit of a buzzword these days, and at Maxwell Leadership we’re all about it. But before you can truly be a servant leader, it’s essential we grasp what a servant leader mindset is all about. Trying to practice servant leadership without adopting the servant mindset is pointless. But getting it right changes everything! A servant leader approach is, for the most part, the opposite of a traditional leadership model.

This year marks a historical workplace milestone with six generations in the workforce at one time, from Traditionalists, who still hold many significant leadership positions, to Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and finally Generation Alpha, who are working their first summer jobs. That many generations in one organization can pose a particular set of challenges, specifically when it comes to communication, processes, and preferences.

It was early in my journey as a facilitator, and I was leading a development workshop on navigating your career to a room of seasoned leaders. I had only facilitated a few times before, and if I’m honest, I was more focused on keeping the energy up and making a good impression. I’d nailed a joke, tossed out another, and felt a surge of pride when the whole room burst into laughter.

A few years ago, I conducted a survey to understand the most frequent leadership mistakes that contribute to employee disengagement. Hundreds of global employee responses highlighted key trends, revealing what often causes leaders to lose their teams’ trust and motivation. While not exhaustive, these are the top warning signs identified.

Stories stick in our brains 22 times better than facts and figures. There's a reason why we tell stories to our children at bedtime rather than reading them fact-based reports. The human brain is wired for stories. Partly due to our evolutionary survival, and also due to our emotional limbic system, humans have often used storytelling as a cornerstone of belonging and inclusion.

A few months ago, President Biden announced his plans to decline the Democratic nomination for the 2024 presidential election. Regardless of your political views, he made a decision that went against his interests for the greater good of the country. That, at its core, is transformational leadership.

As a venture investor and founder of Inspired Capital, I spend much of my time contemplating the strength of someone’s leadership.

Workplace culture became a critical business topic a decade ago, with more executives and HR leaders recognizing that shared values and behaviors drive engagement, innovation, and performance. Building a strong culture, however, requires visionary leadership. One framework I’ve been using to develop leaders in my coaching and training practice is based on the seminal research of organizational leadership scholar Dr. Jim Laub.

Throughout my four-decade career, as an author of over 100 books, and a professor of education, I have been driven to understand the behaviors of the most creative people. Everyone is capable of innovative thinking. Without realizing it, many of the common habits of the most creative minds were things you probably did in your childhood. Some of these impulses become stronger as you enter the workforce.