The Links of the Week rounds up the top articles on my Twitter feed. Great articles this week from the Harvard Business Review on leadership, the truth about millennials from The Atlantic, and lessons from a six-year-old entrepreneur. Enjoy!

 

What Amazing Bosses Do Differently (Harvard Business Review)

The common denominator is attentiveness. Pay close attention to your employees as individuals. Take that extra bit of time to build their confidence and articulate a vision; to provide constant, ongoing, high quality feedback; and to listen to their ideas. And ensure that your own messages are consistent.  Is it hard work? Yes. But it’s worth it.

My favourite article from the week. Must read for any manager looking to lead people better.

 

Do Millennials Make for Bad Employees? (The Atlantic)

A 2013 survey from Ernst and Young found that a growing number of workers believed that Millennials were the best-suited generation to lead businesses in the coming decade, thanks in large part to their tech skills and commitment to diversity.

The stereotypes of millennials being narcissistic and lazy are overblown. The fact is many hiring managers and HR are noticing many young millennials are willing to pay their dues and work hard for their organizations.

 

New Ideas for Employee Engagement: Just Ask (Business 2 Community)

One of the four key conclusions from the Gallup study is that “managers are primarily responsible for their employees’ engagement levels,” and that “companies should coach managers to take an active role in building engagement plans with their employees, hold managers accountable, and ensure they continually focus on engaging their employees.”

Majority of respondents to the survey in this article (although the sample size is uber small) reported that they feel empowered when asked by their manager,”How do you want to be coached?” It’s a good question and one that needs to be framed properly so it doesn’t seem like you’re forcing coaching upon the employee.

 

The Best Leaders Are Constant Learners (Harvard Business Review)

…leaders must scan the world for signals of change, and be able to react instantaneously. We live in a world that increasingly requires what psychologist Howard Gardner calls searchlight intelligence. That is, the ability to connect the dots between people and ideas, where others see no possible connection.

Leaders who can test, learn, and adapt will be the most successful in the future. Great story in this article about the Juan Manuel Fangio and how he avoided a potentially catastrophic mistake in the 1950 Mocaco Grand Prix through observation and learning.

 

Five Key Lessons From A Successful Six-Year-Old Entrepreneur (Forbes)

Gaddis: What have you learned from face-to-face meetings?

Kinnane-Petersen: I really enjoy seeing and talking with the people who sell my necklaces… like the nice people at Barneys. I learn a lot. They treat me like an adult.

It’s refreshing when we’re all “treated like adults” isn’t it? Read books, ask for help, and meet people. Good lessons from a six-year-old entrepreneur.

Some great articles this week. Thank you to those that liked, re-tweeted, or commented on the posts. Looking forward to next week’s roundup!