Description: This article is about how entrepreneur independent business owners can solve their day-to-day frustrations and problems with a simple and useful process for setting goals and building a plan to meet those goals.

Description: Leadership Inspiration contest entry that focuses on how life events and our reaction to them teach and motivate us all to be better leaders.

Description: This article describes the reasons that diversity in business translates in to better performance for companies with diversity management teams.

Description: The article covers 6 actions that leaders can do to cut down on over-load, remove stress and keep targeted on priority items. Reducing multi-tasking is key.

Description: The authors suggest that mastering 'star performer' skills and work strategies is simply a matter of learning and practicing the outlined techniques. From The Stepping Stone, February 2012, Issue No. 45.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision. This issue’s case study involved a new employee being hired specifically for an expertise that then does not seem to be valued once they arrive.

Description: This article covers the importance of letting teams lead you as a leader, that it's okay to admit you're not okay even at work, and that it's important to find informal ways for virtual teams to connect.

Description: The article presents specific operational guidelines when managers and staff are having difficult conversations. The article reviews half a dozen "popular" guidelines but shows that they are not specific. The article then in two layers presents specific operational guidelines. First the article based on a commonality of principles of email etiquette and Jewish Speech Laws reviews five guidelines for ordinary conversations: focus on events vs. people, focus on fixes vs. blames, being holistic (acknowledge any good done), be operational (indicate outcome and how to accomplish it), and use of tentative tone. The article concludes by adding three specific guidelines for difficult conversations: shared-self-evaluation, skillful use of breaks when emotions flair, and use of open-ended lead-on questions coupled with continuous empathy and offers of collaborative support.

Description: An essay on how the lyrics of the Simon and Garfunkel hit song helps the author keep perspective and be a better leader by slowing down and taking the time to listen and lead.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision. This issue’s case study involved a very new actuarial manager trying to deal with a disruptive employee.